Arorathrips spiniceps

Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Female fully winged. Body and legs brown, tarsi and antennal segment II yellow; fore wings light brown. Antennae 8-segmented, segment II with external margin produced and bearing an apical sensorium; segments III–IV with simple sensorium. Head strongly prolonged in front of eyes, vertex with 10–16 setae. Pronotum trapezoidal, with 2 pairs of prominent posteroangular setae. Fore coxae enlarged and transverse, fore femora swollen. Meso and metafurca weakly developed. Fore wing slender, apex pointed, first vein with 3 setae distally, second vein with 3–4 widely spaced setae. Tergites medially with lines of sculpture weak; antecostal ridge of tergites II–V with no tubercles; craspedum small on tergites I–VIII. Ovipositor weak, without teeth. Sternites II–IV with transverse lines of sculpture.

Related and similar species

The genus Arorathrips now comprises 15 described New World species (Nakahara & Foottit, 2012). These all differ from the members of Chirothrips in having the mesothoracic endofurca greatly reduced. A. spiniceps is unusual in having the head strongly produced in front of the eyes.

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Arorathrips spiniceps (Hood)

Original name and synonyms

• Chirothrips spiniceps Hood, 1915: 12
• Chirothrips sacchari Moulton, 1936: 181

Family placement

Thripidae, Thripinae

Biological data

Life history

Breeding within individual florets of various Poaceae.

Host plants

Recorded from various grasses, but with no recorded specificity.

Tospoviruses vectored

None

Crop damage

None recorded

Distribution data

Area of origin

Probably Central America

Distribution

Widespread in North America, but recorded in low numbers from many different countries, including Mexico, Cuba, Hawaii, New Guinea, Solomon Islands and northern Australia.