Acanthothrips nodicornis

Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Both sexes fully winged. Body dark brown, abdominal tergites III � VIII anterolaterally with chalky-white areas; antennal segments III � V yellow at base; tarsi, also base and apex of mid and hind tibiae yellow; forewing pale, sometimes with dark line medially on basal half. Head longer than wide; cheeks with prominent bristle-bearing warts; eyes large; maxillary stylets long and close together medially; postocular setae capitate but small, posterior to inner margin of eyes; mouth cone extending across prosternum. Antennae 8-segmented; segments III � VI constricted to apical neck; III � IV with three stout sensoria. Pronotum reticulate, five pairs of capitate major setae present; basantra absent. Fore tarsus with prominent tooth; fore femora with sub-apical tubercle on inner margin. Forewings parallel sided. Pelta reticulate; tergite IX setae blunt at apex. Male sternite VIII with median transverse glandular area.

Related and similar species

The genus Acanthothrips includes 13 species, of which A. nodicornis is Holarctic. Five species are described from North America, six from the Neotropics including Mexico, and one from Japan. Priesner (1964) distinguished this genus from the wordwide genus Hoplandrothrips on the basis that the forewings are parallel sided. Although this is true of A. nodicornis, the forewings of A. albivittatus and A. argentifer are constricted medially at least as much as in some species of Hoplandrothrips. The antennae of A. albivittatus are uniformly dark, whereas the median antennal segments are largely yellow in the other two species recorded from California. Specimens of A. argentifer Cott have not been studied, but that species was described as being reticulate like A. nodicornis, but the females were "without a distinct tarsal tooth".

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Acanthothrips nodicornis (Reuter)

Original name and synonyms

Phloeothrips nodicornis Reuter, 1880: 16
Acanthothrips doaneii Moulton, 1907: 64
Machatothrips isshikii Ishida, 1932: 7
Acanthothrips americanus Bagnall, 1933: 123

Family placement

Phlaeothripidae, Phlaeothripinae

Biological data

Life history

Breeding on dead branches

Host plants

Unidentified fungal hyphae on dead branches

Tospoviruses vectored

None

Crop damage