Amynothrips andersoni
Recognition data
Distinguishing features
Both sexes either fully winged or with wings shorter than thorax width. Body, legs and antennae brown, fore tarsi and antennal segment III sometimes paler; forewing weakly shaded. Head longer than wide, without sculpture dorsally; eyes much larger dorsally than ventrally; postocular setae wide apart, apices blunt; maxillary stylets retracted to postocular setae, one third of head width apart with slender maxillary bridge. Antennae 8-segmented; segments III � IV with apex truncate, two sensoria on III, four on IV; segment VIII slender. Pronotum with no sculpture medially; anteromarginal setae minute; remaining four pairs of major setae unstable in size and shape, long or very short; paired prosternal basantra present. Fore tarsus with small hooked tooth at inner apex. Metanotum reticulate. Forewings parallel sided, without duplicated cilia. Pelta reticulate; tergites II & VII with wing retaining setae weak, sigmoid on III � VI; tergite IX setae S1 bluntly pointed, about as long as tube. Male smaller, tergite IX setae S2 short and stout; sternite VIII with broadly transverse glandular area.
Related and similar species
The genus Amynothrips includes only one species. Although this has prosternal basantra as in Haplothrips and its relatives, the forewing is parallel sided not constricted medially.
Taxonomic data
Current valid name
Amynothrips andersoni O'Neill
Original name and synonyms
Amynothrips andersoni O'Neill, 1968: 179
Family placement
Phlaeothripidae, Phlaeothripinae
Biological data
Life history
Breeding on leaves.
Host plants
Alligator weed - Alternanthera philoxeroides (Amaranthaceae)
Tospoviruses vectored
None
Crop damage
Useful biological control agent against its aquatic weed host.
Distribution data
Area of origin
Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay
Distribution
Introduced from South America to USA and Australia.