Print Fact SheetScirtothrips solaris

Distinguishing features

Both sexes fully winged. Body yellow without dark markings, but tergal antecostal ridges weakly shaded; antennal segment II paler than III, segments III–VIII grey; major setae light brown; fore wings shaded in basal half, clavus darkest. Antennae 8-segmented; III & IV each with forked sense cone. Head wider than long; ocellar triangle with widely spaced transverse striae, postocular region with closely spaced striae; 3 pairs of ocellar setae present, pair III close together behind fore ocellus. Pronotum with closely spaced sculpture lines; posterior margin with 4 pairs of setae, S2 prominent and about 35 microns long. Metanotum with irregular reticulation; median setae close to anterior margin; no campaniform sensilla. Fore wing first vein with 3 setae on distal half, second vein with 3 widely spaced setae; posteromarginal cilia wavy. Abdominal tergites III–VI median setae small, slightly wider apart than their length; II–VIII with lateral thirds covered in closely spaced rows of fine microtrichia, these microtrichial fields with 3–4 discal setae, posterior margin with fine comb; tergite VIII comb complete, discal microtrichia present medially; tergite IX with no discal microtrichia. Sternites without discal setae; microtrichial rows only present laterally, not extending mesad of setae S2; posterior margins without comb of microtrichia.
Male smaller than female; tergite IX without paired drepanae; hind femora without comb-like row of stout setae; sternites without pore plates.

Related species

Six female and three male paratypes of S. solaris have been studied. None of these slide-mounted specimens are sufficiently well-prepared for satisfactory photomicrography, and the species cannot at present be distinguished satisfactorily from the common Californian citrus thrips, S. citri. The genus Scirtothrips currently includes 100 listed species from various parts of the world. Bailey (1964) provided keys to 13 from North America, but that work was based on specimens that were not fully cleared, and thus few structural details were available concerning differences between species. The identity and validity of certain of the species from California, including S. solaris and S. tehachapi requires further study based on freshly mounted, fully cleared specimens. Similarly, Johansen & Mojica-Guzman (1999) provided keys to 37 species from Mexico, but Hoddle et al. (2008) recognised five of these as synonyms of S. perseae, and Mound & Hoddle (2016) placed a further 15 as synonyms of S. citri. Hoddle & Mound (2003) provided information on 21 Scirtothrips species from Australia, and Rugman-Jones et al. (2006) produced a molecular key to several pest species in this genus.

Biological data

Presumably breeding on leaves. Adults, including the holotype, have been collected in considerable numbers from Libocedrus decurrens [Cupressaceae], but the paratypes included many specimens from different localities and several other plant species, including Prunus demissa [Rosaceae] and Prosopis juliflora [Fabaceae].

Distribution data

Recorded only from California.

Family name

THRIPIDAE - THRIPINAE

Species name

Scirtothrips solaris Bailey

Original name and synonyms

Scirtothrips solaris Bailey, 1964: 344

References

Bailey SF (1964) A revision of the genus Scirtothrips Shull (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). Hilgardia 35: 329–362.

Johansen RM, Mojica-Guzman A (1999) The genus Scirtothrips Shull, 1909 (Thysanoptera: Thripidae, Sericothripini), in Mexico. Folia Entomologica Mexicana 104: 23–108.

Hoddle MS, Mound LA, Rugman-Jones PF & Stouthamer R (2008) Synonomy of five Scirtothrips species (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) described from Avocados (Persea americana) in Mexico. Florida Entomologist 91: 16–21.

Mound L & Hoddle M (2016) Scirtothrips species (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) described from mango, Mangifera indica, in Mexico. Florida Entomologist 99 (4):759–764.

Rugman Jones PF, Hoddle MS, Mound LA, & Stouthamer R (2006) Molecular identification key for pest species of Scirtothrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). Journal of Economic Entomology 99: 1813–1819.