Aeolothrips metacrucifer

Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Described from 30 specimens taken at Vacaville, California, this species has not been studied by the present authors. Both sexes are fully winged and uniformly brown, except for antennal segment III that is yellow with the extreme apex dark. The fore wing has a complete transverse dark band distally and the posterior margin a longitudinal band that reaches neither the apex nor the base.

Related and similar species

The forewing pattern of A. metacrucifer is apparently unique (Bailey, 1951: 75), but is possibly derived from that of A. melaleucus by the almost complete loss of the sub-basal transverse dark band. Just over 90 species are placed currently in the genus Aeolothrips, of which more than 50 are from the Palaearctic Region (mainly Europe), and 28 from the Nearctic (mainly western USA). Only two species are recorded from the Neotropics; the one from Chile is probably the same as A. fasciatus, and one from Panama is probably not a member of this genus (Mound & Marullo, 1996).

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Aeolothrips metacrucifer Bailey

Original name and synonyms

• Aeolothrips metacrucifer Bailey, 1951: 61

Family placement

Aeolothripidae

Biological data

Life history

Flower-living but possibly predatory on other small arthropods.

Host plants

Buckeye flowers (Aesculus sp.; Hippocastanaceae).

Tospoviruses vectored

None

Crop damage

None

Distribution data

Area of origin

Western USA

Distribution

California