Thrips menyanthidisThrips menyanthidisBoth sexes fully winged. Body and femora brown, tarsi and extreme apices of tibiae almost yellow; major setae brown; antennal segment III light brown, IV–VII brown; fore wings shaded with base paler. Antennae 7-segmented; III–IV each with short forked sense cone, VII small. Head with 2 pairs of ocellar setae; pair III no longer than distance between 2 ocelli, arising on anterior margin of ocellar triangle; postocular setae pair I longer than ocellar setae III, postocular setae pair II very small. Pronotum with 2 pairs of long posteroangular setae; posterior margin with 3 pairs of setae; discal area with weak sculptured striae. Mesonotum with paired anterior campaniform sensilla; median setae arise well in front of posterior margin. Metanotum with irregular reticulation medially, reticles more elongate on posterior third; median setae arising behind anterior margin; campaniform sensilla absent. Fore wing first vein with 3 setae on distal half; second vein with 11–12 setae. Abdominal tergite II with 4 lateral marginal setae; tergites V–VIII with paired ctenidia, on VIII posteromesad to spiracles; tergite VIII posteromarginal comb absent medially, with several microtrichia laterally, discal setae S1 smaller than S2; pleurotergites with no discal setae, sculpture lines without microtrichia, posterior margin with few or no microtrichia; tergite IX with 2 pairs of campaniform sensilla, X with median split. Sternites with no discal setae; sternite I with 2–3 minute setae between hind coxae; sternite VII marginal setae S1 arise in front of margin.
Male smaller and paler than female; tergite VIII with no posteromarginal comb; tergite IX median setae slender; sternites III–VII with broad transverse pore plate.
The genus Thrips is the second largest genus in the Thysanoptera, and currently includes, worldwide, over 290 species. All members of genus Thrips lack ocellar setae I on the head, and they all have ctenidia on tergite VIII posteromesad to the spiracles. Other characters, such as number of antennal segments, number of setae on the fore wing veins, and number of discal setae on the sternites are variable between species (Palmer, 1992; Nakahara, 1994; Mound & Masumoto, 2005). Pitkin (1976b) considered that Thrips menyanthidis was probably a large dark form of Thrips fuscipennis, and the two were synonymised by Mound et al. (1976). Subsequently they were distinguished by zur Strassen (1982b), although the status of this species as being distinct from fuscipennis remains in doubt. The discriminant character states overlap with those of fuscipennis, and could still be interpreted as indicating a larger-bodied form. However, specimens from Menyanthes trifoliata lack metanotal campaniform sensilla, and the sculpture on the pleurotergites lacks dentate microtrichia.
Feeding and breeding in the flowers of its host plant Menyanthes trifoliata [Menyanthaceae].
Described from material collected in northern England (Bagnall, 1923), and also known from north east Scotland, and one site in Surrey. It is recorded by zur Strassen (2003) from Norway to Albania.
THRIPIDAE - THRIPINAE
Thrips menyanthidis Bagnall
Thrips menyanthidis Bagnall, 1923: 59
Thrips paludivagus Priesner, 1930: 42
Bagnall RS (1923) A contribution towards a knowledge of the British Thysanoptera, with descriptions of new species. Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine 59: 56–60.
Mound LA & Masumoto M (2005) The genus Thrips (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) in Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand. Zootaxa 1020: 1–64.
Mound LA, Morison GD, Pitkin BR & Palmer JM (1976) Thysanoptera. Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects 1 (11): 1–79.
Nakahara S (1994) The genus Thrips Linnaeus (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) of the New World. United States Department of Agriculture. Technical Bulletin 1822: 1–183.
Palmer JM (1992) Thrips (Thysanoptera) from Pakistan to the Pacific: a review. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology Series 61 (1): 1–76.
Pitkin BR (1976b) Notes on Thrips physapus L., hukkineni Preisner, and fuscipennis Haliday (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Britain. Entomologist's Gazette 27: 173–178.
zur Strassen R (1982b) Thysanopterologische notizen (6) (Insecta: Thysanoptera). Senkenbergiana biologica 63 (3/4): 191–209.
zur Strassen R (2003) Die terebranten Thysanopteren Europas und des Mittelmeer-Gebietes. Die Tierwelt Deutschlands 74: 1–271.
