Liothrips brevitubus

Recognition data

Distinguishing features

This species has not been studied by the present authors. It is known only from the original description based on three females from willow at Calexico.

Related and similar species

With more than 290 described species, Liothrips is one of the three largest genera of Thysanoptera. However, in comparison to both Thrips and Haplothrips it involves far greater problems for species recognition and systematics. A particularly high proportion of the described species are known from single samples, or even single individuals, resulting in little knowledge of host relationships or of structural variation within and between species. L. brevitubus was described as having the tube "slightly shorter" than L. lepidus, although the author gave no evidence of having studied specimens of this species. The general assumption that most members of the genus are host-specific requires validation. Stannard (1957) listed 32 species of Liothrips from North America, and subsequently (Stannard, 1968) included 14 of these in his keys to the Illinois fauna. Cott (1957) treated 11 species from California, including two that he placed in Rhynchothrips, but currently from this State there are 13 Liothrips species listed (Hoddle et al., 2004) of which several cannot at present be recognized.

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Liothrips brevitubus Kono

Original name and synonyms

• Liothrips brevitubus Kono, 1964: 4-6

Family placement

Phlaeothripidae, Phlaeothripinae

Biological data

Life history

Presumably breeding on leaves

Host plants

Described from three females taken from "willow".

Tospoviruses vectored

None

Crop damage

None

Distribution data

Area of origin

Western USA

Distribution

California