Neurothrips apache

Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Both sexes fully winged. Body bicolored, largely yellow with pterothorax brown and tergites II–VI with brown areas medially, also extreme apex of tube sharply brown; legs largely yellow, mid and hind tibiae with small brown mark medially; antennal segments III & VI yellow, IV–V yellow in basal half but light brown distally; fore wing pale. Head reticulate, broader across cheeks than across eyes; cheeks with small tubercles; eyes large; postocular setae small, broadly capitate, posterior to inner margin of eye; maxillary stylets retracted to eyes, close together medially. Antennae 8-segmented; segments III–V constricted to short apical neck, III–IV with three slender sensoria; VIII closely joined to VII. Pronotum reticulate; five pairs of short, broadly capitate major setae. Fore tarsus with tooth; fore femora with small sub-apical tubercle on inner margin. Metanotum reticulate, with about 20 fine setae. Fore wing bent at an angle beyond sub-basal setae, narrow, parallel sided, with no duplicated cilia. Pelta quadrate, with distinctive median area of sculpture; tergites III–VII each with three pairs of flattened, sigmoid wing-retaining setae; tergite IX setae shorter than tube; anal setae considerably longer than tube.

Male smaller than female; sternite VIII with pair of small, circular pore plates.

Related and similar species

The genus Neurothrips includes six species, three from the Neotropics, one from Mexico, and two from North America. A key to these species is provided by Mound & Marullo (1996). N. apache differs from the widespread species N. magnafemoralis in having abdominal segment X, the tube, largely yellow with only the extreme apex brown. Moreover, sternite VIII of males in N. apache has a pair of small, oval pore plates laterally.

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Neurothrips apache Hood

Original name and synonyms

• Neurothrips apache Hood, 1957: 58

Family placement

Phlaeothripidae, Phlaeothripinae

Biological data

Life history

Breeding on dead branches.

Host plants

Unidentified fungal hyphae on dead branches

Tospoviruses vectored

None

Crop damage

None

Distribution data

Area of origin

South Western USA

Distribution

California, New Mexico