Distinguishing features

Female macropterous; body brown, head yellowish sub-medially; tarsi and tibiae yellow, also antennal segments I and III–V; fore wing dark brown, pale at apex and sub-basally, with paler transverse band distal to mid point. Head reticulate, cheeks convex, constricted to basal neck. Antennae 8-segmented, VIII more than twice as long as VII; III and IV with short forked sensorium that extends scarcely beyond segment apex. 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 usually occur on mature leaves, but of many different plant species, with no obvious pattern of association.

Distribution data

Pantropical, also common in temperate areas in greenhouses.

Family name

THRIPIDAE, PANCHAETOTHRIPINAE

Species name

Hercinothrips femoralis (Reuter)

Original name and synonyms

Heliothrips femoralis Reuter, 1891
Heliothrips cestri Pergande, 1895
Heliothrips apicalis Bondar, 1931.

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.