Neohydatothrips opuntiae
Recognition data
Distinguishing features
This species has not been studied by the present authors.
Related and similar species
N. opuntiae is reported as not having any elongate pronotal posteroangular setae (Bailey, 1957: 195), in contrast to many species in the genus. The genus Neohydatothrips is found in many parts of the world and is currently used for a group of over 80 species. Identification keys are available to 13 species recorded from Central America (Mound & Marullo, 1996), and Stannard (1968) treats 11 species from Illinois, but many of the 35 species described from the USA north of Mexico (Nakahara, 1988) remain poorly defined.
Taxonomic data
Current valid name
Neohydatothrips opuntiae (Hood)
Original name and synonyms
Sericothrips opuntiae Hood, 1936: 88
Family placement
Thripidae, Sericothripinae
Biological data
Life history
Breeding on the young pads of prickly pear (Bailey, 1957: 196).
Host plants
Opuntia spp. (Cactaceae).
Tospoviruses vectored
None
Crop damage
None
Distribution data
Area of origin
Western USA
Distribution
California, Arizona