Merothrips morganiMerothrips morganiSimilar in structure to M. floridensis but with curved sculpture lines medially on the pronotum.
Although listed from California by Hoddle et al. (2004), no specimens of M. morgani have been studied by the present authors from west of Texas. This eastern North American species is similar in general body form to M. floridensis, but has distinctively curved sculpture lines on the median area of the pronotum. The only other species with similar pronotal sculpture is M. yii from Malaysia. A total of 14 extant species are listed in the genus Merothrips, all from the warmer parts of the world, and there are a further three species described from Baltic Amber fossils.
Feeding on hyphae of unidentified fungi, and breeding on dead twigs and branches.
USA (Illinois, Connecticut, New York, District of Colombia, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Texas, California, Hawaii), Panama, Galapagos Islands, Australia, India, Malaysia, Kenya (Mound & O'Neill, 1974).
MEROTHRIPIDAE
Merothrips morgani Hood
Merothrips morgani Hood, 1912: 132
Merothrips hawaiiensis Hood, 1937: 411
Hoddle M, Mound LA & Nakahara S (2004) Thysanoptera recorded from California, USA: a checklist. Florida Entomologist 87: 317-323.
Mound LA & O'Neill K (1974) Taxonomy of the Merothripidae, with ecological and phylogenetic considerations (Thysanoptera). Journal of Natural History 8: 481-509.
