Distinguishing features

Female fully winged or micropterous. Body brown; basal half of antennal segment III, base of segments IV–VI, tarsi, also apex and sometimes base of tibiae, and apex of tube paler; pronotum pale laterally (chalky white in life), dark in median third; fore wings shaded medially; major setae pale brown. Head longer than wide, dorsal surface reticulate, weakly expanded behind eyes, with no major setae; ocellar area raised; compound eyes larger dorsally than ventrally; maxillary stylets close together, retracted to compound eyes; mouth cone long, pointed, reaching to mesoeusternum. Antennae 8-segmented; segment III with 2 short, stout sense cones, IV with 4 sense cones. Pronotum with reticulate sculpture medially; major setae short, apex expanded, epimeral sutures complete; basantra absent. Mesopresternum entire, curving away from mesoeusternum medially; mesoeusternum anterior margin with an eroded median cleft. Metanotum with median setae acute, longitudinally elongate reticles with internal markings; metathoracic sternopleural sutures either absent or less than one-third of metathoracic length. Fore tarsal tooth absent. Fore wing parallel-sided, with 8–13 duplicated cilia; major sub-basal setae subequal, expanded at apex. Pelta reticulate, with short lateral lobes; tergites II–VII with lateral reticulation bearing microtrichia, each with 2 pairs of wing-retaining setae, these sigmoid except for anterior pair on tergites II–V, which are curved; major posteroangular setae expanded at apex; tergite IX posteromarginal setae S1 and S2 expanded at apex, S3 acute; sternites with a row of 15 or more discal setae.
Male not known.

Related species

The genus Poecilothrips currently includes three species; one from South Africa, one from California, and the European P. albopictus that is now widespread.

Biological data

This thrips lives on dead branches of various trees, presumably feeding on fungal hyphae.

Distribution data

This species is widespread across Europe, and recorded from USA (California, New York, Pennsylvania) and also New Zealand (CO).

Family name

PHLAEOTHRIPIDAE, PHLAEOTHRIPINAE

Species name

Poecilothrips albopictus Uzel

Original name and synonyms

Poecilothrips albopictus Uzel, 1895: 264
Phloeothrips ornatus Hood, 1913: 165
Cephalothrips harrisoni Bagnall, 1926: 658
Poecilothrips lupini Moulton, 1929: 133

References

Mound LA & Walker AK (1986) Tubulifera (Insecta: Thysanoptera). Fauna of New Zealand 10: 1–140.