Aeolothrips metacrucifer
Recognition data
Distinguishing features
Described from 30 specimens taken at Vacaville, California, this species has not been studied by the present authors. Both sexes are fully winged and uniformly brown, except for antennal segment III that is yellow with the extreme apex dark. The forewing has a complete transverse dark band distally and the posterior margin a longitudinal band that reaches neither the apex nor the base.
Related and similar species
The forewing pattern of A. metacrucifer is apparently unique (Bailey, 1951: 75), but is possibly derived from that of A. melaleucus by the almost complete loss of the sub-basal transverse dark band. Just over 90 species are placed currently in the genus Aeolothrips, of which more than 50 are from the Palaearctic Region (mainly Europe), and 28 from the Nearctic (mainly western USA). Only two species are recorded from the Neotropics; the one from Chile is probably the same as A. fasciatus , and one from Panama is probably not a member of this genus (Mound & Marullo, 1996).
Taxonomic data
Current valid name
Aeolothrips metacrucifer Bailey
Original name and synonyms
Aeolothrips metacrucifer Bailey, 1951: 61
Family placement
Aeolothripidae
Biological data
Life history
Flower-living but possibly predatory on other small arthropods.
Host plants
Buckeye flowers (Aesculus sp.; Hippocastanaceae).
Tospoviruses vectored
None
Crop damage
None
Distribution data
Area of origin
Western USA
Distribution
California