Aleurodothrips fasciapennis

Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Female macropterous; body bicoloured, mainly yellow with abdominal segments V & VI and coxae brown; antennal segments I–IV yellow, head and pronotum faintly shaded; fore wing pale with 3 light brown bands. Antennae 8-segmented, III with 1 sensorium, IV with 2 sensoria. Head as wide as long, without long postocular setae; ventrally with labrum and clypeus fused together. Pronotum with only 2 pairs of major setae; prosternal ferna large. Fore tarsus without tooth. Mesonotum with no sculpture medially. Fore wing narrow but swollen at base, without duplicated cilia. Pelta weakly sclerotised, tergites II–VII each with 1 pair of sigmoid wing-retaining setae but these arise near the midline and are directed posteriorly; tergite IX setae S1 & S2 capitate; tube shorter than head.
Male similar in colour to female; fore femur with stout spur on inner margin, fore tarsus with small pointed tooth, fore tibia with about 3 small tubercles on inner margin. Tergite IX setae similar to female, sternite VIII without pore plate.

Related and similar species

There is only one species in this genus. The form of the head, with the labrum fused to the clypeus without any trace of a membrane or suture between them (Bhatti, 1998), has not been reported for any other thrips.

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

  • Aleurodothrips fasciapennis (Franklin)

Original name and synonyms

  • Cryptothrips fasciapennis Franklin, 1908: 727
  • Cephalothrips spinosus Bagnall, 1909: 174
  • Aleurodothrips fasciiventris Girault, 1927: 2

Family placement

Phlaeothripidae, Phlaeothripinae

Biological data

Life history

Predatory on the larvae of scale insects and whitefly (Palmer & Mound, 1991).

Host plants

Found on many different plants that are infested by scale insects.

Tospoviruses vectored

None

Crop damage

None - a useful biocontrol agent.

Distribution data

Area of origin

Possibly southern China.

Distribution

Widespread in tropical and subtropical countires; likely to be intercepted in quarantine at California.