Print Fact SheetPhlaeothrips

Generic diagnosis

Medium to large, dark macropterous Phlaeothripinae, with genae bearing warts or stout setae. Head reticulate, genae weakly convex with one or a series of warts each bearing a small seta, or genae with one or more stout setae; eyes large; postocular setae capitate, extending slightly beyond eye posterior margin; maxillary stylets retracted almost to eyes, close together medially; mouth cone not elongate. Antennae 8-segmented; segment III with 3 sense cones, IV with 4 sense cones; VIII more or less constricted to basal neck. Pronotum weakly or strongly reticulate, with five pairs of capitate major setae. Metanotum reticulate. Prosternal basantra absent, ferna large and almost meeting medially; mesopresternum tripartite, with median lobe and lateral triangles; metathoracic sternopleural sutures present. Fore tarsus with tooth in both sexes, but femora not armed. Fore wings parallel sided, with many duplicated cilia; with 3 sub-basal setae. Pelta reticulate with wide base; tergites usually reticulate, II–VII each with two pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae; tergite IX setae S1 shorter than half of tube length, tube shorter than head. Male scarcely smaller than female; tergite IX setae S2 stout and blunt; sternite VIII without pore plate.

Relationships

The type species of this genus, coriaceus, together with some structurally similar European species, is now considered to be closely related to Hoplothrips and Hoplandrothrips (Okajima & Masumoto, 2024), in contrast to earlier views on relationships (Priesner, 1964). The variation in body size between individuals has resulted in more species names than the number of real species.

Biology

The species are colonial, fungus-feeders on dead branches.

Distribution

This genus has been used for various species in different parts of the world, including some from the late 1800's that remain unrecognisable, also a few from southeast Asia or Africa. However, the species that appear to be related to coriaceus are predominantly from the Palaearctic region (Mound et al., 2018).

Nomenclature

Phlaeothrips Haliday, 1836: 442. Type species Phlaeothrips coriaceus Haliday, 1836, by subsequent designation in ICZN Opinion 865 (1969).

Although there are 23 species listed in this genus (ThripsWiki, 2023), several of these were described many years ago and remain unrecognisable and possibly not congeneric. Priesner (1964) provides the only identification system for the species listed below.

Euro-Mediterranean species
Phlaeothrips annulipes Reuter, 1880
Phlaeothrips bacauensis Knechtel, 1948
Phlaeothrips bispinoides Bagnall, 1926
Phlaeothrips bispinosus Priesner, 1919
Phlaeothrips coriaceus Haliday, 1836
Phlaeothrips denticauda Priesner, 1914
Phlaeothrips minor Uzel, 1895
Phlaeothrips pillichianus Priesner, 1924
Phlaeothrips sycomori Priesner, 1936

References

Mound LA, Collins DW, Hastings A (2018). Thysanoptera Britannica et Hibernica - Thrips of the British Isles. Lucidcentral.org, Identic Pty Ltd, Queensland, Australia. https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/british_thrips/index.html

Okajima S & Masumoto M (2024) The genus Hoplandrothrips and its relatives (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae)from Southeast Asia and Taiwan  Zootaxa 5489 (1): 22–91.

Priesner H (1964) Ordnung Thysanoptera (Fransenflügler, Thripse). in Franz H, Bestimmungsbücher zur Bodenfauna Europas 2: 1–242. Akademie-Verlag.

ThripsWiki (2023). ThripsWiki - providing information on the World's thrips. <http://thrips.info/wiki/Main_Page>

Ulitzka M (2024) Thripsid - https://www.thrips-id.com/en/phlaeothrips-pillichianus/