Thrips florum Schmutz, 1003

Mound, Laurence A. & Masumoto, Masami, 2005, The genus Thrips (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) in Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand, Zootaxa 1020 (1), pp. 1-64 : 26

Thrips florum Schmutz

Thrips florum Schmutz, 1913: 1003

Thrips darci Girault, 1930: 1

Diagnosis: Body brown, tibiae largely yellow femora light brown; antennal segment III yellow; forewings brown with base paler. Antennae 7 (rarely 8)­segmented; ocellar setae III arise outside ocellar triangle; postocular seta II much smaller than I or III ( Fig. 31 ). Pronotum with transverse markings, midlateral setae all equally weak, posterior sub­marginal apodeme weak. Mesonotum with no lines of sculpture close to anterior campaniform sensilla ( Fig. 30 ). Metanotum transversely striate on anterior half, with longitudinal but more widely spaced striations on posterior half, median setae arise at anterior margin, campaniform sensilla present. Forewing first vein with 3 setae on distal half, clavus with subterminal seta longer than terminal seta ( Fig. 32 ). Abdominal tergite II with 4 lateral setae; tergite VIII comb complete but short and irregular; sternites III–VII with 6–14 discal setae.

Male pale brown.

Breeding: This species has been recorded from the flowers of many plants, but although this suggest that it is highly polyphagous there appears to have been no attempt to recognise the range of larval hosts. Many records of T. florum are likely to involve confusion with T. hawaiiensis .

Distribution: This tropical species is widespread across Asia and the Pacific, and has also been recorded from Florida and the Caribbean ( Nakahara, 1994; Mound, & Marullo, 1996). In Australia, a few specimens have been taken in the coastal regions of Queensland north from Brisbane, and around Darwin in Northern Territory.

Relationships: This species is most closely related to Thrips hawaiiensis , with which it has often been confused ( Bhatti, 1999a).

Figures

FIGURES 26–37. Thrips species. T. extensicornis 26–29: (26) Head & pronotum; (27) Meso­metanota; (28) Tergites VI–VIII; (29) Sternites VI–VII. T. florum 30–32: (30) Meso­metanota; (31) Head; (32) Forewing clavus. T. hawaiiensis 33–35: (33) Meso­metanota; (34) Head; (35) Forewing clavus. T. hoddlei 36–37: (36) Head & pronotum; (37) Meso­metanota.