
Medium to large sized, usually macropterous, Phlaeothripinae-Haplothripini. Head slightly longer than wide; postocular setae pointed and well developed; cheeks without warts; mouthcone usually narrowly pointed; maxillary stylets long and slender, deeply retracted into head, more than one third of head width apart, maxillary bridge well developed. Antennae 8-segmented, with three sense cone on segment III and four on IV; VIII broad at base. Pronotum wider than long; with 5 pairs of well developed, pointed, major setae; notopleural sutures complete. Prosternal basantra wider than long; ferna and prospinasternum developed; mesopresternum eroded medially, divided into two lateral triangles but sometimes weakly joined medially; metathoracic sternopleural sutures present or absent. Metanotum usually weakly sculptured, median setae usually arising on anterior half of sclerite. Fore tarsal tooth varying in development, from absent to present. Fore wings not constricted medially, with duplicated cilia; three sub-basal setae situated in a triangle. Pelta triangular; abdominal tergites II–VII with two pairs of wing-retaining setae; segment IX with seta S1 and S2 acute, sometimes longer than tube; tube usually long (two to three times as long as basal width), shorter than head. Male with tergite IX setae S2 short and stout, sternite VIII without pore plate; pseudovirga slender.
This genus was used for many years in Europe to include several Haplothrips-like species that had particularly long pronotal setae. However, Minaei et al. (2007) distinguished this group of Mediterranean area species as distinct from Haplothrips because each of the species has three sense cones on the third antennal segment. These European species share most character states with the species of Dolichothrips, but the species of that genus from the Old World tropics have the mouth cone extending across the prosternum.
These are flower-living species and are found particularly on species of Phlomis (Lamiacae) but also on species of Astragalus (Fabaceae).
All five species of this genus are found only between southern Europe and Iran.
Neoheegeria Schmutz, 1909: 344. Type species Neoheegeria dalmatica Schmutz, 1909, by monotypy.
There are now only five species recognised in this genus (ThripsWiki, 2023).
Euro-Mediterranean species
Neoheegeria astragali Minaei, Fekrat & Mound, 2018
Neoheegeria dalmatica Schmutz, 1909
Neoheegeria gigantea (Priesner, 1934)
Neoheegeria persica Priesner, 1954
Neoheegeria sinaitica Priesner, 1934
Minaei K, Azemayeshfard P & Mound LA (2007) The southern Palaearctic genus Neoheegeria (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae): redefinition and key to species. Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 150: 55–64.
Minaei K, Fekrat L & Mound L (2018)The genus Neoheegeria with a new species from Iran exhibiting wing-dimorphism (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae). Zootaxa 4455: 563–570.
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