Leucothrips pierceiLeucothrips pierceiBoth sexes fully winged. Body, legs and wings white, antennal segments VI–VII light brown. Antennae 7-segmented, VII slender and as long as VI; sense cones simple on III–IV, segment VI with long simple sense cone arising near to base on inner margin. Head lacking sculpture. Pronotum transversely striate, with two pairs of prominent postero-angular setae of which the outer pair is longer than the inner. Metanotum with linear sculpture lines converging medially, median pair of setae small and arising medially. Tarsi all 1-segmented. Fore wing slender, pointed; first vein with three widely spaced setae on distal half, second vein without setae, postero-marginal cilia straight. Abdominal tergites II–VIII median setae long and close together; lateral thirds of tergites with transverse lines of sculpture bearing weak microtrichia; VIII with postero-marginal comb of microtrichia. Sternites III–VII with three pairs of long postero-marginal setae.
Male with sense cones simple on antennal segment III–IV.
Five species are recognized in the genus Leucothrips, and although presumably originally from the Neotropics (some have been widely dispersed by the horticultural trade (Masumoto & Okajima, 2017). As with other species of the Dendrothripinae, the metathoracic furca is enlarged and lyre-shaped, extending to the mesothorax.
Possibly on leaves, and recorded from Cercis canadensis [Caesalpiniaceae], Capsicum annuum [Solanaceae], and Phaseolus vulgaris [Fabaceae].
Recorded from Eastern North America, including Georgia and Florida, also Mexico and California (Stannard, 1968), Argentina and Japan (Masumoto & Okajima, 2017).
THRIPIDAE - DENDROTHRIPINAE
Leucothrips piercei (Morgan)
Microthrips piercei Morgan, 1913: 19
Masumoto M & Okajima S (2017) Studies on Dendrothripinae (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) from Japan, with new records and one new species. Zootaxa 4362 (3): 405–420.
