Phlaeothripinae, Phlaeothripidae, Tubulifera, Thysanoptera

Figures

Fig. 1: 8-segmented antenna
Fig. 2: Head dorsal with ocellar triangle
Fig. 3: Pronotum
Fig. 4: Meso- and metanotum
Fig. 5: Fore wing, basal region of fore wing
Fig. 6: Tergites V and VI
Fig. 7: Tergites IX-XI
Fig. 8: Female, dorsal view

Aleurodothrips fasciapennis is widespread throughout the tropics, particularly on citrus, and known as a primary predatory of armoured scale insects and whiteflies. Female macropterous; body bicolored, mainly yellow with abdominal segments 5 & 6 and coxae brown (Fig. 8); antennal segments 1-4 yellow (Fig. 1), head and pronotum faintly shaded (Fig. 2 and 3); fore wings pale with 3 light brown bands (Fig. 5). Antennae 8-segmented, segment III with 1 and segment IV with 2 sense cones. Head as wide as long, without long postocular setae; maxillary stylets apart by more than half width of head; ventrally with labrum and clypeus fused together. Pronotum with only 2 pairs of major setae; prosternal ferna large (Fig. 3). Mesonotum with no sculpture medially (Fig. 4). Fore tarsus without tooth. Fore wing narrow but swollen at base, without duplicated cilia (Fig. 5). Pelta weakly sclerotised, tergites II-VII each with 1 pair of sigmoid wing-retaining setae but these arise near the midline and are directed posteriorly (Fig. 6); tergite IX setae S1 & S2 capitate; tube shorter than head (Fig. 7).
Male similar in color to female; fore femur with stout spur on inner margin, fore tarsus with small pointed tooth, fore tibia with about 3 small tubercles on inner margin; tergite IX setae similar to female; sternite VIII without glandular area.

The genus Aleurodothrips Franklin, 1909
There is only one species in this genus. Aleurodothrips fasciapennis is an obligate predator of scale insects (Palmer & Mound 1991), and widespread around the tropics. The form of head, with the labrum fused to the clypeus without any trace of a membrane or suture between them is unusual (Bhatti 1998). The genus is not known to have any close relatives. Furthermore, it is unusual among this suborder Tubulifera in having the fore wings with transverse light and dark markings (Mound & Kibby 1998).

Compared to other members of Phlaeothripidae, Aleurodothrips fasciapennis has a bicolored body, fore wings with transverse alternating bands of dark and light, and tergites II-VII each with 1 pair of wing-retaining setae. Maxillary stylets apart by more than half of head width, postocular setae shorter than distance between its base to the compound eye. All other species have a mainly brown body color, uniformly colored fore wings, and tergites II-VII each with 2 pairs of wing-retaining setae. In Hoplandrothrips marshalli the maxillary stylets are about one-fifth of head width apart, and postocular setae are as long as dorsal length of compound eye or little longer (Karnyothrips flavipes, species of Gynaikothrips and Haplothrips with maxillary stylets that are about one-third of head width apart, and the length of postocular setae is about half to nine tenths as long as compound eye). In Aleurodothrips fasciapennis as well as Hoplandrothrips marshalli and species of Gynaikothrips a maxillary bridge and a prosternal basantra is absent. Furthermore, compared to other species of the key, Aleurodothrips fasciapennis and Haplothrips (Trybomiella) clarisetis have no duplicated cilia on posterior margin of fore wing.

Life history
Life cycle from egg to adult is about 4 weeks at a temperature of 27ºC (Selhime et al. 1963, Watson et al. 1988).

Host plants
-

Vector capacity
None identified.

Detection and control strategies
-

Biogeography

Although this species is widespread in the tropics and subtropics (West Indies, South America, South Africa), it possibly originated in southern China.

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Watson DM, Du DY, Li M, Xiong JJ, Liu DG, Huang MD, Rae DJ & Beattie GAC(1988). Life history and feeding biology of the predatory thrips, Aleurodothrips fasciapennis (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae). Bulletin of Entomological Research 88: 351-357