Liothrips floridensis
Recognition data
Distinguishing features
Both sexes fully winged. Body and legs dark brown; antennal segments III–VI yellow, VII extensively yellow, VIIII dark brown; fore wing pale, clavus weakly shaded; major body setae pale. Head longer than wide; vertex with transverse striae, but ocellar region without sculpture; maxillary stylets retracted to postocular setae, no more than one fifth of head width apart medially; post ocular setae with apices weakly expanded, shorter than dorsal eye length; mouth cone short. Antennae 8-segmented; segment III with one sensorium, IV with three sensoria; sensoria short; VIII not constricted at base. Pronotum almost smooth medially, with five pairs of capitate major setae, am and aa setae about half as long as pa and epim setae; epimeral sutures complete; prosternal basantra not developed, ferna present, mesopresternum boat-shaped. Fore tarsus without a tooth. Metanotum weakly reticulate medially, median setae small and acute. Fore wing parallel sided, with 13–18 duplicated cilia; three capitate sub-basal setae sub-equal in length. Tergite IX setae S1 pointed and shorter than tube, S2 slightly blunt at apex.
Related and similar species
This Oriental species has been known in Florida for many years, but was not recognised in California until 2011. A detailed description was provided by Okajima (2006). Currently, there are 290 species listed in the genus Liothrips, although 30 of these are placed in two sub-genera known only from Asia. As a result, this is larger than either Thrips or Haplothrips, these three being the largest genera of Thysanoptera. However, in comparison to both Thrips and Haplothrips there are far greater problems in Liothrips in species recognition. A particularly high proportion of the described species are known from single samples, or even single individuals, resulting in little knowledge of variation within and between species, and thus the general assumption that most members of the genus are host-specific requires extensive testing. 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, two of which he placed in Rhynchothrips. 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 floridensis (Watson)
Original name and synonyms
- Cryptothrips floridensis Watson, 1913: 145
Family placement
Phlaeothripidae, Phlaeothripinae
Biological data
Life history
Breeding on young leaves
Host plants
Apparently specific to Cinnamomum camphora (Lauraceae).
Tospoviruses vectored
None
Crop damage
None
Distribution data
Area of origin
Oriental tropics
Distribution
Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Japan, USA - Florida, California.
