Distinguishing features

Female macropterous; Body brown, head yellow sub-medially, also abdominal segments IX-X; tarsi and tibiae yellow, also antennal segments I and III-VIII; fore wing pale, lightly shaded at base, with 2 short dark brown transverse bands. Head reticulate, cheeks convex, constricted to basal neck. Antennae 8-segmented, VIII more than twice as long as VII; III and IV with forked sensorium extending well beyond apex of segment. Pronotum with several pairs of moderately long discal setae. Metanotum with weakly defined reticulate triangular area medially, median setae long. Tarsi 2-segmented. Fore wing with complete row of setae on both veins. Abdominal tergites finely reticulate; median tergal setae minute; tergite VIII with posteromarginal comb of long microtrichia laterally; tergite X median split not complete.

Related species

Hercinothrips is a genus of nine species, all presumably African in origin, but of which two very similar species have become widespread around the world as minor pests on various crops.

Biological data

Adults and larvae are sometimes abundant on the older leaves of many different plant species, with no obvious pattern.

Distribution data

Pantropical, sometimes considered a pest of bananas.

Family name

THRIPIDAE, PANCHAETOTHRIPINAE

Species name

Hercinothrips bicinctus (Bagnall)

Original name and synonyms

Heliothrips bicinctus Bagnall, 1919: 258
Heliothrips bifasciipennis Girault, 1926: 1.

References

ThripsWiki (2020) Thrips Wiki-providing information on the World’s thrips. Available from: http://thrips.info/wiki/Main Page [accessed 28.viii.2019].

Wilson TH (1975) A monograph of the subfamily Panchaetothripinae (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). Memoirs of the American Entomological Institute 23: 1–354.