Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis Bouche, 1833

Biology
As its common name implies, the greenhouse thrips is a pest in greenhouses in temperate countries. Under field conditions it is usually found on plants with rather hard leaves, including tea and Pinus in parts of Africa, Rhododendron in southern Europe, and Viburnum tinus in eastern Australia. It has even been found breeding on nursery stock of the Wollemi Pine (Wollemia nobilis; Araucariaceae) in New South Wales and Queensland, Australia, and has been found causing serious damage to the older fronds of tree ferns in New South Wales. Adults and larvae move slowly, and are found on mature (not young) leaves together with pupae. The larvae raise their abdomen over the head when disturbed, and secrete a drop of dark liquid that dries to a black spot on the surface of a leaf.
Distribution
Originally from southwestern Brazil (Mound & Monteiro 1998), the greenhouse thrips is now found throughout the tropics and sub-tropics on a wide range of plants.
Recognition
Body dark brown when mature, but abdomen golden in less mature adults; legs yellow; antennal segments III – V & VII-VIII yellow, VI brown in apical half, I-II light brown; forewing pale with hind margin shaded. Head strongly reticulate, cheeks slightly concave but constricted at base. Antennal segments III & IV with sense cone simple; VIII much longer than VII. Pronotum reticulate. Mesonotum not divided medially. Metanotum with strongly reticulate triangle, median setae small on anterior half of sclerite. Tarsi short and 1-segmented. Forewing slender with apex rounded bearing 2 long cilia; costa with long cilia, posteromarginal cilia not wavy; veinal setae not much larger than surface microtrichia. Abdominal tergites II-VIII with 1 pair of dominant setae medially; VIII with long posteromarginal comb of microtrichia; X short but with complete median division. Sternites with 3 pairs of small marginal setae. Male very rare, except in Brazil.
Related species
Two further species are placed in this genus, one from South Africa and one from southeastern Brazil (Mound & Monteiro 1998).

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