Liothrips brevitubus
Recognition data
Distinguishing features
This species has not been studied by the present authors. It is known only from the original description based on three females from willow at Calexico.
Related and similar species
With more than 290 described species, Liothrips is one of the three largest genera of Thysanoptera. However, in comparison to both Thrips and Haplothrips it involves far greater problems for species recognition and systematics. A particularly high proportion of the described species are known from single samples, or even single individuals, resulting in little knowledge of host relationships or of structural variation within and between species. L. brevitubus was described as having the tube "slightly shorter" than L. lepidus , although the author gave no evidence of having studied specimens of this species. The general assumption that most members of the genus are host-specific requires validation. Stannard (1957) listed 32 species of Liothrips from North America, and subsequently (Stannard, 1968) included 14 of these in his keys to the Illinois fauna. Cott (1957) treated 11 species from California, including two that he placed in Rhynchothrips, but currently from this State there are 12 Liothrips species listed (Hoddle et al., 2004) of which several cannot at present be recognized.
Taxonomic data
Current valid name
Liothrips brevitubus Kono
Original name and synonyms
Liothrips brevitubus Kono, 1964: 4-6
Family placement
Phlaeothripidae, Phlaeothripinae
Biological data
Life history
Presumably breeding on leaves
Host plants
Described from three females taken from "willow".
Tospoviruses vectored
None
Crop damage
None
Distribution data
Area of origin
Western USA
Distribution
California