Print Fact SheetAleurodothrips fasciapennis

Distinguishing features

Female macropterous; body bicoloured, mainly yellow with abdominal segments V & VI and coxae brown; antennal segments I–IV yellow, head and pronotum faintly shaded; fore wing pale with 3 light brown bands. Antennae 8-segmented, III with 1 sense cone, IV with 2 sense cones. Head as wide as long, without long postocular setae; ventrally with labrum and clypeus fused together. Pronotum with only 2 pairs of major setae; prosternal ferna large. Fore tarsus without tooth. Mesonotum with no sculpture medially. Fore wing narrow but swollen at base, without duplicated cilia. Pelta weakly sclerotised, tergites II–VII each with 1 pair of sigmoid wing-retaining setae but these arise near the midline and are directed posteriorly; tergite IX setae S1 & S2 capitate; tube shorter than head.
Male similar in colour to female; fore femur with stout spur on inner margin, fore tarsus with small pointed tooth, fore tibia with about 3 small tubercles on inner margin. Tergite IX setae similar to female, sternite VIII without pore plate.

Related species

There is only one species in this genus. The form of the head, with the labrum fused to the clypeus without any trace of a membrane or suture between them (Bhatti, 1998), has not been reported for any other thrips.

Biological data

Found on many different plants that are infested by scale insects, this thrips is predatory on the larvae of scale insects and whitefly (Palmer & Mound, 1991).

Distribution data

Possibly originally from southern China, but now widespread in tropical and subtropical countries.

Family name

PHLAEOTHRIPIDAE, PHLAEOTHRIPINAE

Species name

Aleurodothrips fasciapennis (Franklin)

Original name and synonyms

Cryptothrips fasciapennis Franklin, 1908: 727
Cephalothrips spinosus Bagnall, 1909: 174
Aleurodothrips fasciiventris Girault, 1927: 2.

References

Bhatti JS (1998) New structural features in the Order Tubulifera (Insecta). 1. Amalgamation of labro-maxillary complex with cranium and other cephalic structures. Zoology (Journal of Pure and Applied Zoology) 5: 147–176.

Palmer JM & Mound LA (1991) Thysanoptera. Chapter 2.2. 5: 67–76. In, Rosen, D. (ed.), The Armoured Scale Insects, Their Biology, Natural Enemies and Control Vol B. Amsterdam.