Dactuliothrips spinosus
Recognition data
Distinguishing features
Both sexes fully winged. Body, legs and antennae brown, tarsi and antennal segment III yellow; forewings weakly shaded. Antennae 9-segmented, segment IX longer than VIII; segments III � IV each with two oval sensoria. Head relatively long with two pairs of long postocular setae. Pronotum with many prominent setae, about five pairs on anterior margin and seven pairs on posterior margin. Mesonotum without microtrichia. Metanotum with only one pair of setae, reticulation almost arcuate around anterior margin and without microtrichia. Fore femur with two to five short broad setae on inner margin. Fore tarsal hamus weakly recurved. Forewing broad with apex rounded. Abdominal tergites with transverse lines of sculpture. Sternites IV � VI with three pairs of marginal setae and five to six discal setae medially but not laterally, with very few microtrichia; sternite VII with discal setae laterally and two pairs of supernumerary setae sub-medially. Male abdominal tergite I with paired longitudinal ridges not reaching anterior margin, sternites without discal setae.
Related and similar species
Currently there are six species described in the genus Dactuliothrips; four are from California and two from Argentina.
Taxonomic data
Current valid name
Dactuliothrips spinosus Moulton
Original name and synonyms
Dactuliothrips spinosus Moulton, 1931: 173
Family placement
Aeolothripidae
Biological data
Life History
Presumably breeding in flowers.
Host plants
Possibly Mormon Tea, Ephedra trifurca (Ephedraceae).
Tospoviruses vectored
None
Crop damage
None
Distribution data
Area of origin
Western USA
Distribution
California, Oregon, Utah