Liothrips monoensisLiothrips monoensisThis species has not been studied by the present authors, and is known only from the original description based on a single female from Purshia tridentata near Mono Craters.
With almost 280 described species, Liothrips is one of the three largest genera of Thysanoptera. However, in comparison to both Thrips and Haplothrips it involves far greater problems for species recognition and systematics. A particularly high proportion of the described species are known from single samples, or even single individuals, resulting in little knowledge of host relationships or of structural variation within and between species. The single specimen on which L. monoensis was based was stated to be "very close to" L. ilex , but to have the sensorium on antennal segment II closer to the apex of this segment, a difference that is possibly related to the quality of the slide mount. The general assumption that most members of the genus are host-specific requires validation. 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, including two that 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.
Presumably breeding on leaves, but described only from a single female taken from Purshia tridentata [Rosaceae].
Described from California.
PHLAEOTHRIPIDAE, PHLAEOTHRIPINAE
Liothrips monoensis Kono
Liothrips monoensis Kono, 1964: 6-8
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.