Thrips heraclei

Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Known only from the Californian type series, and three females from New York that may not be the same species (Nakahara, 1994: 70), this species has not been studied by the present authors.

Related and similar species

The genus Thrips is the second largest genus in the Thysanoptera, and currently includes, worldwide, about 285 species. All members of the genus lack ocellar setae I on the head, and they all have ctenidia on tergite VIII posteromesad to the spiracles. Other characters, such as number of antennal segments, number of setae on the fore wing veins, and number of discal setae on the sternites are variable between species (Palmer, 1992; Mound & Masumoto, 2005). T. heraclei has been compared to several other North American members of the genus that have the body yellow (Nakahara, 1994: 69).

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Thrips heraclei Moulton

Original name and synonyms

• Thrips heraclei Moulton, 1926: 25

Family placement

Thripidae, Thripinae

Biological data

Life history

Presumably flower-living

Host plants

Heracleum sphondylium and Angelica atropurpurea (Apiaceae)

Tospoviruses vectored

None

Crop damage

None

Distribution data

Area of origin

Probably Western USA

Distribution

California (New York?).