Sciothrips cardamomi

Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Female macropterous. Body colour brown, legs and antennal segments III–VIII yellow; fore wings light brown with base pale. Antennae 8-segmented, III & IV slender with long forked sensorium. Head longer than wide and projecting in front of eyes, without sculpture between eyes; 2 pairs of ocellar setae present, pair III as long as distance between compound eyes and arising on anterior margins of ocellar triangle; postocular setae small and not in a single row. Pronotum transverse, inner pair of posteroangular setae longer than outer pair; posterior margin with only 1 pair of setae. Metanotal sculpture weak, campaniform sensilla absent, median setae short and arising behind anterior margin. Mesofurca with spinula. Fore wing first vein with 2 setae on distal half, second vein with about 5 widely spaced setae; clavus with 3 marginal setae, apical seta shorter than sub-apical seta. Tergites with transverse lines of sculpture medially, posterior margin of I–VII laterally with small microtrichia; tergite VIII with comb of long regular microtrichia. Sternites without discal setae, setae S1 on sternite VII arising in front of margin.

Related and similar species

The only species in Sciothrips is similar to the species of Limothrips and Bregmatothrips in the general appearance of its slender body, and with the head prolonged in front of the eyes. However, the tergites lack posteromarginal craspeda, and the genus is possibly derived from Taeniothrips, judging from the absence of ocellar setae pair I, and the long and regular posteromarginal comb on tergite VIII.

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Sciothrips cardamomi (Ramakrishna)

Original name and synonyms

• Taeniothrips cardamomi Ramakrishna, 1935: 357

Family placement

Thripidae, Thripinae

Common names

Cardamom thrips

Biological data

Life history

Breeding on young tissues of flowers and leaves.

Host plants

Apparently breeding only on cardamom plants (Elettaria cardamomum) [Zingiberaceae].

Tospoviruses vectored

None

Crop damage

Minor leaf damage.

Distribution data

Area of origin

Tropical Asia

Distribution

Widespread in India and Bangladesh, also China (Hainan) and introduced to Costa Rica (Mound & Marullo, 1996). Not known from California, but a potential immigrant.