Dendrothripoides innoxius
Recognition data
Distinguishing features
Female macropterous or micropterous; body colour golden yellow, with brown shadings laterally; antennal segments IV & VI brown in apical half or more; fore wing pale but with small brown marking sub-basally and longer brown marking medially. Antennae 8-segmented, III & IV with slender forked sensorium. Head with cheeks bulging behind eyes but constricted to basal neck; dorsal surface reticulate, ocellar setae III on anterior margins of ocellar triangle. Pronotum with discal setal bases prominent, one pair of posteroangular setae slightly prominent. Metanotum irregularly reticulate, median setae well behind anterior margin. Fore wing unusually slender with first vein distinct from but close to costa, major setae minute, brown areas with microtrichia stout; microptera with wing lobe shorter than thorax width. Tergites II–VIII with numerous broadly based stout microtrichia laterally, VI–VIII with 1 or 2 pairs of stout setae medially pointing toward midline; IX & X with setae stout, X fully divided medially. Sternites without sculpture, median pair of setae on VII arising at margin. Male micropterous, similar to female; tergite IX with pair of stout thorn-like setae arising from a large median tubercle, posterior to this a group of 6 small tubercles; antecostal ridge of sternites IV–VII with small transverse pore plate.
Related and similar species
Five species are listed in the genus Dendrothripoides; one from South Africa, one from Thailand, two from the Philippines and one that is widespread on sweet potato leaves (Reyes, 1994). The genus is related to two further Oriental genera, Indusiothrips Priesner with two species, and Isunidothrips Kudo with one species. The tergal microtrichia are much weaker in those species than in Dendrothripoides.
Taxonomic data
Current valid name
- Dendrothripoides innoxius (Karny)
Original name and synonyms
- Euthrips innoxius Karny, 1914: 359
- Dendrothripoides ipomoeae Bagnall, 1923: 625
- Tryphactothrips mediosignatus Karny, 1925: 34
- Tryphactothrips mundus Karny, 1926: 190
- Heliothrips ipomeae Bondar, 1930: 18
- Scirtothrips gladiiseta Girault, 1933: 2
Family placement
Thripidae, Thripinae
Biological data
Life history
Breeding on leaves
Host plants
Several species of Ipomoea, including I. batatas and I. aquatica (sweet potato and water spinach)
Tospoviruses vectored
None
Crop damage
Causing limited damage to leaves.
Distribution data
Area of origin
Presumably Oriental region
Distribution
Widespread in tropical countries; not known from USA but likely to be intercepted in quarantine.
