Tmetothrips subapterusTmetothrips subapterusBoth sexes micropterous, female sometimes fully winged. Body and femora dark brown, tibiae, tarsi and antennal segments III–IV yellowish-brown, fore wings shaded. Antennae 8-segmented, III–IV each with forked sense cone. Head with 2 pairs of ocellar setae, pair III arising close together within ocellar triangle, shorter than distance between compound eyes; maxillary palps 3-segmented. Pronotum weakly reticulate with about 12 discal setae, with 2 pairs of prominent posteroangular setae, inner pair shorter than outer. Microptera with meso- and metanota strongly transverse, fore wing lobe scarcely 60 microns long; metanotal median setae and campaniform sensilla on posterior half of this sclerite; mesothoracic furca with spinula. Abdominal tergites III–VII with transverse row of 6 long setae, campaniform sensilla near to posterior margin; tergites with narrow craspedum, also on VIII; IX with 2 pairs of campaniform sensilla, X with complete split. Sternites without discal setae, posterior margins each with 5-lobed craspedum.
Male sternites III–VII with transverse pore plate; tergite IX with two pairs of short stout setae medially.
Only one species is placed in Tmetothrips, and relationships of this genus are not clear since most available character states are associated with its flightless, micropterous, condition.
Feeding and breeding on the leaves of species of Cerastium and Stellaria [Caryophylaceae], and Galium [Rubiaceae].
Locally common in south east England and also Norfolk (with one historical record from Durham: see Morison, 1932) (Mound et al., 1976). Widespread, but only locally common, across parts of Scandinavia (Gertsson, 2015), central and eastern Europe. This species has been introduced into North America (Hoebeke & Wheeler, 1983).
THRIPIDAE - THRIPINAE
Tmetothrips subapterus (Haliday)
Thrips subaptera Haliday, 1836: 450
Pachythrips phaeoptera Schille, 1912: 236
Gertsson C-A (2015) An annotated checklist of Thysanoptera (thrips) from the Nordic countries. Entomologisk Tidskrift 136 (4): 185–198.
Hoebeke ER & Wheeler AG (1983) Exotic insects reported new to northeastern United States and eastern Canada since 1970. Journal of the New York Entomological Society 91: 193–222.
Morison GD (1932) Observations and records for some Thysanoptera from Great Britain. VI. Tmetothrips subapterus (Hal.) and Platythrips tunicatus (Hal.). Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine 68: 33–37.
Mound LA, Morison GD, Pitkin BR & Palmer JM (1976) Thysanoptera. Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects 1 (11): 1–79.
