Thrips brevipilosus
Recognition data
Distinguishing features
Both sexes fully winged. Body and legs yellow, major setae pale; antennal segments V � VI with apex brown, VII brown; forewings pale. Head wider than long; two pairs of ocellar setae; pair III small, arising outside ocellar triangle; postocular setae pair I as long as ocellar setae III. Antennae 7-segmented; segments III � IV with short forked sensorium. Pronotum with many closely spaced transverse sculpture lines; two pairs of prominent, but not elongate, posteroangular setae; posterior margin with three pairs of setae. Metanotum with closely spaced straight lines converging to posterior margin, at anterior with irregularly transverse lines; median setae arising behind anterior margin; campaniform sensilla absent. Forewing first vein with three setae on distal half; second vein with row of about 14 setae. Abdominal tergite II with three lateral marginal setae; tergites V � VIII with paired ctenidia laterally, on VIII posteromesad to spiracles; tergite VIII posteromarginal comb absent medially, with a few slender microtrichia laterally; pleurotergites without discal setae, with oblique rows of fine microtrichia. Sternite II with two pairs of marginal setae, III � VII with three pairs; sternites without discal setae. Male smaller; tergite VIII with no marginal comb; sternites III � V with broad transverse glandular area.
Variation
Nakahara (1994) indicates that the body of this species is variable in color, from yellow to yellowish brown to brown; the above notes are based on yellow specimens identified by W. Ewart.
Related and similar species
The genus Thrips is the second largest genus in the Thysanoptera, and currently includes, worldwide, about 280 species. T. brevipilosus is similar to pale individuals of T. tabaci in the presence of rows of microtrichia on the pleurotergites, but has red ocellar pigment and the metanotum is closely striate. All members of genus Thrips lack ocellar setae I on the head, and they all have ctenidia on tergite VIII posteromesad to the spiracles. Other characters, such as number of antennal segments, number of setae on the forewing veins, and number of discal setae on the sternites are variable between species (Palmer, 1992; Nakahara, 1994; Mound & Masumoto, 2005).
Taxonomic data
Current valid name
Thrips brevipilosus Moulton
Original name and synonyms
Thrips brevipilosus Moulton, 1927: 194
Thrips lathyri Moulton, 1936: 106
Family placement
Thripidae, Thripinae
Biological data
Life history
Presumably breeding in flowers
Host plants
Collected from a wide range of plants in various families, with no apparent specificity.
Tospoviruses vectored
None
Crop damage
None
Distribution data
Area of origin
Western USA
Distribution
California and several other western States of the USA (Nakahara, 1994).