Print Fact SheetLiophloeothrips

Generic diagnosis

Medium sized, usually brown or bicoloured, macropterous (rarely apterous) Phlaeothripinae. Head longer than wide; postocular setae well developed, apices expanded; genae without warts or strong setae; mouthcone narrowly pointed; maxillary stylets retracted to eyes and usually close together medially, maxillary bridge absent. Antennae 8-segmented, with one sense cone on segment III and two or three on segment IV; VIII usually broad at base. Pronotum wider than long, with five pairs of well developed major setae; notopleural sutures complete. Prosternal basantra absent; mesopresternum divided or undivided; metathoracic sternopleural sutures present. Metanotum longitudinally striate to hexagonally reticulate. Fore tarsal tooth usually developed in both sexes. Fore wings not constricted medially, with duplicated cilia. Pelta bell-shaped to triangular; tergites II─VII with two (rarely one) pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae; tergite IX with S1 and S2 setae well developed and capitate in both sexes. Tube shorter than head. Male usually with a broad pore plate on abdominal sternite VIII.

Relationships

This genus is a member of the Liothrips-lineage of predominantly leaf-feeding Phlaeothripinae.

Biology

The members of this genus are usually considered to be leaf-feeding, but two species were described from Iran as presumably fungus-feeding on dead branches (Mirab-balou, 2019) or dead leaves (Hakimara et al., 2019).

Distribution

Most species in this genus are from Asia, but three species (including the type species) are described from southern Europe (Minaei & Mound, 2014) and two from Iran.

Nomenclature

Liophloeothrips Priesner, 1919: 138. Type species Liophloeothrips glaber Priesner, 1919, by monotypy.

There are 19 species listed in this genus (ThripsWiki, 2023).

Euro-Mediterranean species
Liophlaeothrips arjanicus Hakimara, Minaei, Sadeghi & Mound, 2019
Liophloeothrips baharae Mirab-balou, 2018
Liophloeothrips glaber Priesner, 1919
Liophloeothrips hungaricus (Priesner, 1934)
Liophloeothrips pulchrisetis Bournier, 1969

References

Hakimara M, Minaei K, Sadeghi S & Mound L (2019) A new species of Liophloeothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae) from leaf litter from Iran. Zootaxa 4571 (1): 138–142.

Minaei K & Mound LA (2014) The Liothrips-lineage of thrips (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) from Iran with the first record of micropterous morph of a Liothrips species. Zootaxa 3889 (1): 107–117.

Mirab-balou M (2019) A New Species of the Genus Liophloeothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae) from Iran. Vestnik Zoologii 53 (4): 265–268.

Tyagi K & Kumar V (2011) The Indian species of Liophloeothrips Priesner (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae) with one new species. Zootaxa 2803: 21–31.

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