Distinguishing features

Both sexes fully winged. Body brown to dark brown, tarsi and fore tibiae paler; antennal segments III–V and basal half of VI yellow; fore wings light brown. Antennae 8-segmented; segments III & IV each with a short forked sense cone. Head wider than long; three pairs of ocellar setae present, pair III slightly longer than distance between hind ocelli, arising just anterior to these ocelli. Pronotum with transverse lines of sculpture; 2 pairs of long posteroangular setae; 4 pairs of posteromarginal setae. Metanotum weakly reticulate, posterior reticles forming distinctive arc at posterior margin; median setae arising at anterior margin; campaniform sensilla absent. Fore wing first vein with 2–4 setae on distal half; second vein with complete row of about 12 setae. Abdominal tergites III–VII with no sculpture medially; tergite VIII with no ctenidia but with several scattered microtrichia anterior to spiracle, posteromarginal comb with short microtrichia laterally but absent medially; tergite X with complete longitudinal split. Sternites without discal setae.
Male smaller than female; sternites III–VII with large oval pore plate occupying half the length of each sternite.

Related species

This species is common worldwide in weedy yellow Asteraceae flowers. It is variable in body size and color, but has distinctive sculpture on the metanotum. There are 19 species listed in the genus Tenothrips, mainly from the Mediterranean region, and Bhatti (2003) has indicated that the Californian genus Ewartithrips is not distinct from Tenothrips.

Biological data

Breeding in the flowers of various Asteraceae, particularly weedy species.

Distribution data

Originally from the European Mediterranean region, this species is widespread in southern Europe, and introduced to California, Oregon, Washington, Georgia, Colombia, Argentina, Uruguay, Hawaii, New Zealand, and southern Australia.

Family name

THRIPIDAE - THRIPINAE

Species name

Tenothrips frici (Uzel)

Original name and synonyms

Physopus frici Uzel, 1895: 126
Euthrips pallidicornis Karny, 1907: 45
Euthrips dalmatica Karny, 1907: 45
Physothrips brevicornis Bagnall, 1916: 220
Physothrips blacki Watson, 1919: 32
Taeniothrips frici f. alba Priesner, 1926: 291
Taeniothrips pallidivestis Priesner, 1926: 291
Taeniothrips frici f, fulva Knechtel, 1945: 457
Taeniothrips frici f. adusta Knechtel, 1951: 139
Taeniothrips persimilis Priesner, 1954: 51
Taeniothrips cibiniensis Knechtel, 1965: 133
Taeniothrips (Tenothrips) alis Bhatti, 1967: 18.

References

Bhatti JS (2003) The genera Tenothrips and Ewartithrips (Terebrantia: Thripidae) and pigmented facets of eye in some Terebrantia. Thysanoptera 2003: 1–10.

zur Strassen R (2003) Die terebranten Thysanopteren Europas und des Mittelmeer-Gebietes. Die Tierwelt Deutschlands 74: 1–271.

Thysanoptera Californica