Leptothrips Hood, 1909

Mound, Laurence & O’Donnell, Cheryle, 2017, Predation, phytophagy and character state confusion among North American species of the genus Leptothrips (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripinae), Zootaxa 4294 (3), pp. 301-315 : 305-306

Leptothrips Hood

Leptothrips Hood, 1909: 249 . Type species Cryptothrips aspersus Hinds 1902 , by monotypy; synonym of Phloeothrips mali Fitch.

Members of this genus share character states with other Phlaeothripinae species in the Tribe Haplothripini ( Mound & Minaei 2007): antennae usually 8-segmented; head usually with maxillary bridge present; prosternum with paired basantra (praepectal plates); fore wings usually slightly constricted medially. From other Haplothripini the genus is distinguished by the presence of longitudinally striate sculpture on the metanotum ( Figs 25–30 ). Prior to this study a total of 38 species were listed in this genus (ThripsWiki 2017), but nine of these species are here placed into synonymy. Moreover, a recently described species, based on a single male specimen, L. texcosensis Johansen- Naime et al. (2017), is here recognised as a species of Haplothrips . It shares with two other species that also were described as members of Leptothrips Group Primarius (see discussion above) the presence of equiangular reticulate sculpture on the metanotum. This species is thus referred to as Haplothrips texcosensis Johansen-Naime et al. comb.n.

Figures

FIGURES 25 – 30. Leptothrips species of North America—metanotum. (25) mali; (26) papago; (27) purpuratus; (28) fasciculatus; (29) oribates (brevicapitis holotype); (30) occipitalis holotype.