Chaetanaphothrips orchidii

Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Female fully winged. Body and legs yellow, antennal segments V–VI brown distally, fore wing pale with distinctive dark bands at base and medially. Head wider than long; ocellar setae pair I not present, pair III small and within ocellar triangle. Antennae 8-segmented; VIII slender, more than 6 times as long as wide; segments III–IV with long forked sensorium. Pronotum with 2 pairs of small but prominent posteroangular setae, external pair no longer than width of antennal segment III. Metanotum weakly reticulate, median setae small, well behind anterior margin. Fore wing slender, first vein with 3 setae on distal half, second vein with 3 or 4 setae; some cilia wavy on posterior margin. Tergites with weak transverse sculpture medially, posteromarginal craspedum complete; tergite VIII with plastron-like sculpture extending around spiracle to antecostal ridge. Sternites III–VI with large lobed craspedum.

Male not known.

Related and similar species

Twenty species are currently listed in Chaetanaphothrips. Most of these are from southeastern Asia (Nonaka & Okajima, 1992), but three have become widely distributed around the world. Two of these, C. leeuweni and C. signipennis, have only a single pair of pronotal posteroangular setae, whereas C. orchidii has two pairs of such setae.

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Chaetanaphothrips orchidii (Moulton)

Original name and synonyms

• Euthrips orchidii Moulton, 1907: 52
• Euthrips marginemtorquens Karny, 1914: 362

Family placement

Thripidae, Thripinae

Common names

Banana thrips; Orchid thrips

Biological data

Life history

Apparently breeding on leaves.

Host plants

Orchids, bananas, various greenhouse plants.

Tospoviruses vectored

None

Crop damage

Causing markings on banana fruits and leaves.

Distribution data

Area of origin

Probably south eastern Asia

Distribution

Widespread in tropical and subtropical countries, also in greenhouses in temperate areas.