Distinguishing features

Macropterous female brown, tarsi and apices of tibiae yellow, also antennal segments I–III; fore wing with sub-basal pale band, then brown but paler toward apex. Head with occipital ridge not close to eyes; ocellar triangle with irregular markings; ocellar setae III on anterior to margins of triangle; three pairs of postocular setae, median pair long. Antennal segment III slender, sense cone short, not extending beyond basal fifth of segment IV. Pronotum densely striate, blotch anterior margin deeply emarginate. Metanotal sculpture mainly transverse, with band of microtrichia on posterior fifth. Fore wing with one seta near apex displaced onto second vein from first vein; no sub-apical lobe. Tergites I–VIII densely covered with microtrichia, and with complete posteromarginal comb. Sternites with no discal microtrichia medially, sternites III–VII with lobed craspedum medially bearing long microtrichia.
Micropterous female with wing lobe shorter than width of thorax; metanotum with microtrichia on more than half of sclerite.
Male with small circular pore plate on sternites IV–VII

Related species

Only three genera are currently recognised in the Sericothripinae (Lima & Mound, 2016), with Sericothrips comprising seven species. Six of these are found widely across the Palaearctic Region, but one is from South Africa. However, the generic classification is thought to be a poor reflection of phylogeny, and Sericothrips appears to comprise species which show some level of wing-length reduction.

Biological data

Feeding and breeding on the leaves of Ulex europea [Fabaceae]; used as a biological control agent against this invasive weedy plant (Ireson et al., 2008).

Distribution data

Western Europe, but introduced to Hawaii and Australia (Tasmania, Victoria and South Australia)

Family name

THRIPIDAE - SERICOTHRIPINAE

Species name

Sericothrips staphylinus Haliday

Original name & synonyms

Sericothrips staphylinus Haliday, 1836: 444

References

Ireson JE, Holloway RJ & Chatterton WS (2008) Phenology and development of the gorse thrips, Sericothrips staphylinus Haliday (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), a biological control agent for gorse, Ulex europaeus L.(Fabaceae), in Tasmania. Biological Control 45: 64–71.

Lima EFB & Mound LA (2016) Systematic relationships of the Thripidae subfamily Sericothripinae (Insecta: Thysanoptera) Zoologischer Anzeiger 263: 24–32.

Mound LA & Tree DJ (2009) Identification and host-plant associations of Australian Sericothripinae (Thysanoptera, Thripidae). Zootaxa 1983: 1–22.

ThripsWiki (2020) ThripsWiki - providing information on the World's thrips. Available from: http://thrips.info/wiki/Main_Page [accessed 29.x.2019].