Aeolothripidae, Terebrantia, Thysanoptera

Figures

Fig. 1: Antennal segment III, segments IV and V, segment V and pale segments VI-IX
Fig. 2: Pale colored scape and pedicel
Fig. 3: Head lateral with fore tentorial arm
Fig. 4: Head lateral, with mouth cone, maxillary palps and tentorium construction
Fig. 5: Pronotum
Fig. 6: Meso- and metanotum
Fig. 7: Fore wing and distal region of fore wing
Fig. 8: Sternites VI and VII
Fig. 9: Lateral view of abdominal segments 7-11
Fig. 10: Tergites IX-XI, X with paired trichobothria

Allelothrips cincticornis is a predator of arthropods observed on cereals and grasses. Female macropterous and with a wasp-like waist. Body color brown and with extensive red internal pigment; antennae 9-segmented, elongate; segment III exceptionally long and slender, and about 9-10 times as long as wide; III & IV with simple linear, gently undulated sensory areas; length of segment V subequal to VI-IX together (Fig. 1 and 2). Antennal segments almost white, except brown segments IV & V (Fig. 1); head nearly as wide as long, eyes prolonged ventrally (Fig. 3); maxillary palps consist of 3 segments (Fig. 4), although 3rd segment is subdivided into 5 to 6 pseudosegments. Prothorax rectangular, without long setae (Fig. 5). Mesonotum minutely striate. Metanotum with a distinctive triangular area of striate sculpture, 1 pair of setae at anterior margin and 1 pair near posterior margin (Fig. 6). Abdominal segments 1 & 8 pale yellow, segment 9 distally yellow (Fig. 9 and 10), apical setae colorless; femora paler than tibiae and tarsi, hind femora and coxae pale; fore wings with 3 dark transverse bands basally, medially, and apically (Fig. 7). Fore wing slender with apex rounded, cross veins prominent; costal margin with setae but no cilia (Fig. 7). Tarsi 2-segmented, fore tarsus apically with stout recurved ventral hamus. Sternites II-VII each with about 4 pairs of posteromarginal setae and 1-4 discal setae laterally (Fig. 8). Tergites with small discal setae; tergite X with pair of very small trichobothria (Fig. 9 and 10).
Male unknown.

The genus Allelothrips Bagnall, 1932
7 species are listed in this genus, 6 from Africa and 1 from India. The genus was defined largely on the number of maxillary palp segments, and the three nominal genera were separated on the fact that the maxillary palpi were 2-segmented (Arhipidothrips), 3-segmented (Pseudoaeolothrips) and 7- or 8-segmented (Allelothrips) (Mound 1968). Now, all of them are united to the genus Allelothrips. Members of the genus have 9-segmented antennae, the metanotum with a distinctive triangular area of striate sculpture, and the antennal sensoria are linear and simple, sometimes gently undulated, but without scalloped margins (Mound & Kibby 1998).

Allelothrips cincticornis differs from other species of Allelothrips in the color of antennal segments - those are almost white except for the brown segments IV & V. Antennal segments VI-IX of other species have light brown to dark brown color, the mostly other species have segment IV of female at least basally or completely pale (except for Allelothrips vilardeboi with antennal segment IV completely dark brown). Allelothrips cincticornis as well as Allelothrips brunneus, Allelothrips talithae and Allelothrips vilardeboi have antennal segments I & II with pale coloration, in contrast the color of antennal segments I & II of Allelothrips cameroni and Allelothrips tenuicornis is brown, at least in part. Most of Allelothrips species have a mainly brown body color (except for Allelothrips talithae with yellow to light brown body color), and fore wings with 3 dark transverse bands - basally, medially, and apically with extreme apex dark (except for Allelothrips vilardeboi with extreme apex pale). Allelothrips cincticornis as well as Allelothrips talithae have an antennal segment III that is about 9-10 times as long as wide (compared to Allelothrips brunneus and Allelothrips tenuicornis with antennal segment III that is 7-8 times as long as wide, and Allelothrips cameroni and Allelothrips vilardeboi with antennal segment III that is only 5-6 times as long as wide). Furthermore, in Allelothrips cincticornis, Allelothrips brunneus, Allelothrips cameroni and Allelothrips talithae the length of antennal segment V of female is subequal to VI-IX together (Allelothrips tenuicornis and Allelothrips vilardeboi with antennal segment V of female, that is much shorter than VI-IX together).
Species of Allelothrips differ from Franklinothrips and Aeolothrips in having a metanotum with a distinctive triangular area of striate sculpture (Aeolothrips fasciatus with metanotum median area with irregular equiangular reticulation; species of Franklinothrips lack sculpture medially). Furthermore, Franklinothrips species have antennal sensoria on segments III & IV that are linear with scalloped margins (those of Allelothrips species and Aeolothrips fasciatus are linear and simple but without scalloped margins), and 2 pairs of posteromarginal setae on sternites III-VI and 4 pairs of posteromarginal setae on sternite VII (Allelothrips species possess 4 pairs of posteromarginal setae on sternites III-VII; Aeolothrips fasciatus with 4 pairs of posteromarginal setae on sternites III-VII, and 2 pairs of supernumerary setae anterior to marginal setae S1 and S2 on sternite VII). Compared to Aeolothrips fasciatus, species of Allelothrips and Franklinothrips have discal setae laterally on sternites II-VII (Aeolothrips fasciatus without discal setae on sternites).

Host plants
The species lives on grasses where it is predacious on graminivorous arthropods.

Vector capacity
None identified.

Damage and symptoms
-

Detection and control strategies
-

Additional notes
-

Biogeography

Africa. Cape Verdes, Sudan (Wad Medani).

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Lewis T (1973). Thrips: their biology, ecology and economic importance. Academic Press Inc., London Ltd., 349 pp.

Moritz G (2006). Thripse. Pflanzensaftsaugende Insekten, Bd. 1, (1. Auflage). Westarp Wissenschaften, Hohenwarsleben, 384 pp. ISBN 13: 978 3 89432 8917

Moritz G, Morris DC & Mound LA (2001). ThripsID - Pest thrips of the world. ACIAR and CSIRO Publishing Collingwood, Victoria, Australia, CDROM ISBN 1 86320 296 X

Mound LA (1968). A review of R. S. Bagnalľs Thysanoptera collections. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology. Supplement 11: 1-181

Mound LA & Kibby G (1998). Thysanoptera: An identification guide, (2nd edition). CAB International, Wallingford and New York, 70 pp

Palmer JM (1990). Identification of the common thrips of Tropical Africa (Thysanoptera, Insecta). Tropical Pest Management. 36 (1): 27-49

Stannard LJ (1961). A new species of Allelothrips from South India, with notes on the synonymy and characteristics of the genus (Thysanoptera: Aeolothripidae). Bulletin of Entomology, Madras. 2: 9-11

zur Strassen R (1995). Binomial data of some predacious thrips, pp. 325-328. In Parker BL, Skinner M & Lewis T [eds.], Thrips biology and management. NATO ASI series, Series A, Life sciences, Vol. 276. Plenum Press, New York