Print Fact SheetStictothrips

Generic diagnosis

Small macropterous (rarely apterous) Phlaeothripinae with fore wings constricted and sharply bent. Head and body usually with complex reticulate sculpture. Head longer than wide, postocular setae usually not developed (short if present); eyes large; maxillary stylets retracted to eyes and close together medially; mouth cone short and rounded. Antennae 8-segmented, III with one sense cone, IV with two major sense cones, VIII narrowed but not constricted to base. Pronotum with 4 pairs of relatively well-developed major setae that are usually pointed, anteromarginals scarcely longer than discal setae; notopleural sutures incomplete (rarely complete). Meso and metanotum variably reticulate. Prosternal basantra present; metathoracic sternopleural sutures long. Fore tarsal tooth developed. Fore wing constricted at about one-third of its length from the base and sharply bent at that point. Pelta trapezoidal, with weak sculpture; tergites II–VII each with one pair of wing-retaining setae; tergite IX with setae S1 and S2 pointed, about half as long as tube; tube typically long and slender (rarely shorter than head).

Relationships

The members of this genus share several unusual character states, such as a curiously shaped fore wing. However, a similar wing shape occurs in some species of two unrelated genera, Neurothrips and Strepterothrips. It seems likely that the seven species listed in Stictothrips do not all belong to a single lineage (Minaei & Mound, 2020).

Biology

The members of this genus are thought to be fungus-feeders on dead branches. However, Priesner (1932) described leopardinus from a few specimens found in the leaf-sheaths of Phragmites, and suggested that the dorso-ventrally flattened body indicated that this thrips was adapted to living on grasses.

Distribution

This genus has a curious distribution. The type species, maculatus, is from North America. Two species are described from Australia and two from Iran, one is recorded only from Egypt, near Cairo, but one species is recorded widely from South Africa to Iran, India and East Timor.

Nomenclature

Stictothrips Hood, 1925: 295. Type species Phloeothrips maculatus Hood, 1909, by monotypy.

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

Euro-Mediterranean species
Stictothrips denaeus Minaei & Mound, 2020
Stictothrips farsi Hakimara, Minaei, Sadeghi & Mound, 2019
Stictothrips leopardinus Priesner, 1932

References

Hakimara M, Minaei K, Sadeghi S, & Mound L (2019) Fungus-feeding thrips in Iran with a new species of Stictothrips (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae). Zootaxa 4652 (3): 557–567.

Minaei K & Mound LA (2020) Key to world Stictothrips species with description of a new species from Iran (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae). Zootaxa 4772 (2): 379–384.

Priesner H (1932) Contribution towards a knowledge of the Thysanoptera of Egypt, VI. Bulletin de la Societe Royale entomologique d'Egypte 16: 17–23.