Plesiothrips Hood

Mound, Laurence A., 2011, Grass-dependent Thysanoptera of the family Thripidae from Australia, Zootaxa 3064 (1), pp. 1-40 : 32

Plesiothrips Hood

A total of 19 species are currently listed in this genus. Of these, five are from Southeastern USA, and the others are all Neotropical with the exception of P. sakagamii described on three females from Taiwan. However, there is little in the description of that species to distinguish it from P. perplexus , a species that is widespread among tropical countries and is variable in colour and chaetotaxy. This species has been taken across northern Australia from various introduced grasses and also Zea mays . There are no published studies on the breeding habits of this thrips, but the ovipositor is too weak and non-serrate to be effective in inserting eggs into plant tissues, suggesting the possibility that the eggs of this thrips are placed within the glumes of florets.