• If you are not familiar with the morphological character states of Thysaoptera families, familiarize yourself with the glossary and start with the family key (ICIPE_ID_FAM). This key allows the classification of the species to be determined to one of the families and sub-families: Aeolothripidae, Thripidae (Dendrothripinae, Panchaetothripinae, Sericothripinae, Thripinae) and Phlaeothripidae (Phlaeothripinae).

• Use the "Best" button and choose "Abdominal segment 10 - never tubular, longitudinally incomplete ventrally in both sexes" (if under Features the Best Mode is marked as "Find Best" the system jumps automatically to the next best character).

• You can view or magnify an image by clicking the image icon or thumbnail. There is a button bar on the upper margin of the picture with numerous icons: . The first four green buttons allow to browse through available images of the character states and the character. The blue player button switches a mouse cursor on to mark particular features.With the available blue buttons you can stop and repeat this little movie. The blue image thumbnail button opens in some cases more images with similar character states.

• Choose "Ovipositor curved - downwards". Now the window "Entities Remaining" is reduced to the family Thripidae with the four subfamilies.

• Choose "Pronotal blotch - absent". Now the window "Entities Remaining" is reduced to the subfamilies: Dendrothripinae, Panchaetothripinae, Thripinae.

• Choose "Surface of head, pronotum and fore legs - without obvious or with weakly reticulate sculpture". The window "Entities Remaining" still contains the subfamilies: Dendrothripinae, Panchaetothripinae, Thripinae. This is because Monilothrips kempi and also Xestothrips glabratus does not show clear polygonally reticulate surface as observed with other members of the Panchaetothripine.

• Choose "Fore and hind wings - present, more than half as long as abdomen". Now more character states of the wings become visible.

• Please choose "Fore wing costal fringe of cilia - arising at anterior margin of wing". Now the remaining window contains only two subfamilies: Panchaetothripinae and Thripinae.

• Choose "Fore wing first vein - distinct from costal vein". In the entities remaining window has left as the final result of this family key the family Thripidae, subfamily Thripinae.

Key start guide: eg. ID of Western Flower Thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) - Thripidae Key

• Start the Thripidae family key (ICIPE_ID_TH, pale WFT)

• Use "Best" button:

• Body color - mainly pale to yellow, or with some darker markings

• Number of pairs of elongate pronotal setae - 4

• Ocellar setae III - arising on anterior margin of, or in front of ocellar triangle

• IF THE NEXT TWO QUESTIONS ARE TOO DIFFICULT - CHOOSE "Next Best".

• Pair of major postocular seta: choose "Next Best"

• Antennal segment VIII length: choose "Next Best"

• Shape of pedicel on antennal segment III - simple

• Frankliniella occidentalis - try the fact sheet or page icon to receive detailed information.

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• Start the Thripidae family key (ICIPE_ID_TH, dark WFT)

• Use "Best" button:

• Body color - mainly brown to dark brown

• Metathorax, shape of metathoracic furca - transverse, V-shaped

• Number of antennal segments - 8

• Form of sense cones on antennal segments III and IV - emergent and forked on segments III and IV

• Pronotal blotch or internal apodeme - absent

• Head - not prolonged in front of compound eyes

• Color of fore tarsi: choose "Next Best"

• Ocelli - present

• Fore wing coloration - uniformly pale or weakly shaded

• Ocellar setae III - arising on anterior margin of, or in front of ocellar triangle

• Number of pairs of long anteroangular setae - 2

• Frankliniella occidentalis - try the fact sheet or page icon to receive detailed information.

Key start guide: eg. ID of Ceranisus menes (Entedoninae, Eulophidae, Hymenoptera)

• Start the ICIPE_PARASITE_KEY

• Use "Best" button:

• Thorax, number of setal pairs in the midlobe of mesoscutum - 2

• Vertexal suture - straight

• Ceranisus menes - try the fact sheet or page icon to receive detailed information.

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Web links

Mound´s Thysanoptera pages
Thysanoptera Checklist
ICIPE Thrips survey sites
UNI Halle & Thrips sites
Thrips of California