Thrips heraclei
Recognition data
Distinguishing features
Known only from the Californian type series, and three females from New York that may not be the same species (Nakahara, 1994: 70), this species has not been studied by the present authors.
Related and similar species
The genus Thrips is the second largest genus in the Thysanoptera, and currently includes, worldwide, about 280 species. All members of the genus 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; Mound & Masumoto, 2005). T. heraclei has been compared to several other North American members of the genus that have the body yellow (Nakahara, 1994: 69).
Taxonomic data
Current valid name
Thrips heraclei Moulton
Original name and synonyms
Thrips heraclei Moulton, 1926: 25
Family placement
Thripidae, Thripinae
Biological data
Life history
Presumably flower-living
Host plants
Heracleum sphondylium and Angelica atropurpurea (Apiaceae)
Tospoviruses vectored
None
Crop damage
None
Distribution data
Area of origin
Probably Western USA
Distribution
California (New York?).