Distinguishing features

Both sexes fully winged. Female dark brown, fore tarsi and apex of fore tibiae yellow, antennae brown but segment III yellow at base; major setae on head and pronotum dark but abdominal setae paler; fore wings pale. Antennae 8-segmented, III with 3 sense cones, IV with 4 sense cones. Head longer than wide; stylets retracted to postocular setae, maxillary bridge about 50% of head width; post-ocular setae long, pointed.  Pronotum with 5 pairs of major pointed setae; epimeral sutures complete; prosternal basantra present. Mesopresternum divided into two triangular plates. Fore tarsi with no tooth. Fore wings broad, constricted medially, with 14–18 duplicated cilia; sub-basal setae arranged in triangle. Pelta triangular; tergites II–VII each with 2 pairs of sigmoid setae; tergite IX setae S1 as long as tube; tube shorter than head.
Male smaller than female, fore tarsus with tooth; tergite IX setae S2 short and stout; sternites without any pore plate.

Related species

Five species are now placed in the genus Neoheegeria (Minaei et al., 2018).  This is a group of southeastern European species associated with the flowers of Lamiaceae, all of which have three sense cones on the third antennal segment. In contrast, the genus was used at one time for various unrelated species of Haplothrips with long pronotal setae.

Biological data

Breeding in flowers (Minaei et al., 2007) and pupating at soil level. In Britain, breeding is confirmed on Stachys byzantina [Lamiaceae], but this thrips is also known from Stachys inflata and possibly related plant species.

Distribution data

This species has been found at six sites in England including the original finding in 2007. Four of these locations are in the York area, where it is clearly established. There are also records from Derbyshire and Kent (Collins, 2007; 2021b). All records are on plants in either domestic or formal gardens, and it seems likely that this thrips is present on S. byzantina flowers in gardens elsewhere. The range of this thrips is primarily across the southern Palaearctic from Spain and Algeria to Iran and Uzbekistan, with some more northern records, including a couple from the Netherlands (e.g., Mantel & Vierbergen, 1996; Collins, 2007; Minaei et al., 2007).

Family name

PHLAEOTHRIPIDAE - PHLAEOTHRIPINAE

Species name

Neoheegeria dalmatica Schmutz

Original name and synonyms

Neoheegeria dalmatica Schmutz, 1910: 344
Cryptothrips tenuipilosus Bagnall, 1914: 293
Neoheegeria nevskyi Moulton, 1946: 57
Neoheegeria ballotae Priesner, 1951: 365
Neoheegeria hamanni Priesner, 1961: 59

References

Collins DW (2007) Two species of thrips (Thysanoptera) new to Britain, Neoheegeria dalmatica Schmutz and Frankliniella pallida (Uzel), with an updated key to the British species of Frankliniella Karny. British Journal of Entomology and Natural History 20: 241–248.

Collins DW (2021b) Noteworthy recent records of Thysanoptera (Aeolothripidae, Melanthripidae and Phlaeothripidae) in Great Britain. British Journal of Entomology and Natural History 34: 207–220.

Mantel WP & Vierbergen G (1996) Additional species to the Dutch list of Thysanoptera and new intercepted Thysanoptera on imported plant material. Folia Entomologica Hungarica 57 (Suppl.): 91–96.

Minaei K, Azemayeshfard P & Mound LA (2007) The southern Palaearctic genus Neoheegeria (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae): redefinition and key to species. Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 150: 55–64.

Minaei K, Fekrat L & Mound LA (2018) The genus Neoheegeria with a new species from Iran exhibiting wing-dimorphism (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae). Zootaxa 4455 (3): 563-570.