Print Fact SheetLiothrips gaviotae

Distinguishing features

The holotype of this species has been studied, but is a dark micropterous specimen on which few details are visible.  Cott (1956: 44-46). provided a redescription based on further micropterous specimens of both sexes, but these have not been re-examined.

Related species

L. gaviotae is known only from short-winged adults, and has the head shorter and broader than other members of the genus in California, with the short antennal segments almost uniformly dark brown. Currently, there are almost 280 species listed in the genus Liothrips, although 30 of these are placed in two sub-genera known only from Asia. As a result, this is larger than either Thrips or Haplothrips, these three being the largest genera of Thysanoptera. However, in comparison to both Thrips and Haplothrips there are far greater problems in Liothrips in species recognition. A particularly high proportion of the described species are known from single samples, or even single individuals, resulting in little knowledge of variation within and between species, and thus the general assumption that most members of the genus are host-specific requires extensive testing. Stannard (1957) listed 32 species of Liothrips from North America, and subsequently (Stannard, 1968) included 14 of these in his keys to the Illinois fauna. Cott (1956) treated 11 species from California, two of which he placed in Rhynchothrips, but currently from this State there are 13 Liothrips species listed (Hoddle et al., 2004) of which several cannot at present be recognized.

Biological data

Presumably breeding on leaves, and possibly specific to Adenostoma fasciculatum [Rosaceae] (Cott, 1956).

Distribution data

Known only from California.

Family name

PHLAEOTHRIPIDAE, PHLAEOTHRIPINAE

Species name

Liothrips gaviotae (Moulton)

Original name and synonyms

Haplothrips (Chthonothrips) gaviotae Moulton, 1929: 132
Liothrips gaviotae (Moulton); Cott, 1956: 44.

References

Cott HE (1956) Systematics of the suborder Tubulifera (Thysanoptera) in California. University of California, Berkeley, Publications in Entomology 13: 1–216.

Hoddle M, Mound LA & Nakahara S (2004) Thysanoptera recorded from California, USA: a checklist. Florida Entomologist 87: 317–323.

Stannard LJ (1957) The phylogeny and classification of the North American genera of the sub-order Tubulifera (Thysanoptera). Illinois Biological Monographs 25: 1–200.

Stannard LJ (1968) The Thrips, or Thysanoptera, of Illinois. Bulletin of the Illinois Natural History Survey 29: 213–552.