Distinguishing features

Both sexes fully winged. Body, legs and antennae dark brown, except pedicel of antennal segment III; fore wings strongly shaded except near base. Antennae 9-segmented, segment IX longer than VIII; segments III & IV each with two oval sensoria. Head relatively long with 3 pairs of long postocular setae. Pronotum with many prominent setae, about 4 pairs on anterior margin and 5 pairs on posterior margin. Mesonotum with many microtrichia. Metanotum with only one pair of setae, sculpture arcuate around anterior margin and with many microtrichia. Fore femur with 4–9 short broad setae on inner margin. Fore tarsal hamus recurved. Fore wing broad with apex rounded. Abdominal tergites with transverse lines of sculpture. Sternites IV–VI with 3 pairs of marginal setae and up to 10 discal setae in a transverse row, completely covered with microtrichia; sternite VII with about 5 pairs of lateral discal setae and 2 pairs of supernumerary setae sub-medially.
Male abdominal tergite I with paired longitudinal ridges not reaching anterior margin, sternites without discal setae.

Related species

This species has three pairs of long postocular setae on the head. Antennal segment III is mainly brown, but unlike diversus the fore femoral spurs are short and broad, and the metanotum has only one pair of setae. Currently there are nine species described in the genus Dactuliothrips; five are from California and four from Argentina.

Biological data

Presumably breeding in the flowers of Yucca brevifolia [Agavaceae], but adults have been collected from flowers of various plants. This species is reported to be abundant in early spring in California (Bailey, 1957).

Distribution data

California.

Family name

AEOLOTHRIPIDAE

Species name

Dactuliothrips boharti Bailey

Original name and synonyms

Dactuliothrips boharti Bailey, 1937: 122

References

Bailey SF (1957) The thrips of California Part I: Suborder Terebrantia. Bulletin of California Insect Survey 4: 143–220.

Pereyra V & de Borbon CM (2013) The American genus Dactuliothrips (Thysanoptera: Aeolothripidae) with three new species. Zootaxa 3734 (1): 001–014.

Thysanoptera Californica