Parthenothrips dracaenae (Heeger, 1854)

Biology
Breeding on the leaves of a wide range of plants but particularly associated with the Parlour Palm, Chamaedorea, on which it sometimes produces very large populations.
Distribution
Widespread throughout the tropics, and common on indoor ornamental plants in temperate regions.
Recognition
Body light brown to brown, tarsi and tibiae yellow, also antennal segments I-V; forewing pale, with small dark cross band in basal half and a more diffuse shaded area on distal half. Head reticulate, cheeks parallel sided but constricted to basal neck; vertex with 2 pairs of large but translucent flattened setae. Antennae 7-segmented, VII almost as long as previous segment; sense cone on III & IV short and simple. Pronotum with 1 pair of large, flattened posteroangular setae, discal area and posterior margin with similar but smaller setae. Mesonotum not divided medially. Metanotum with median area reticulate, with 1 pair of setae medially and 1 pair of campaniform sensilla. Tarsi 1-segmented. Forewing exceptionally broad with reticulate membrane, veinal setae broad with thickened median rhachis, costa without cilia, posteromarginal cilia wavy. Abdominal tergites without reticulation, median setae small; VIII without a marginal comb; X with complete median division. Sternites with 3 pairs of small marginal setae.
Related species
The Parlour Palm thrips is the only species known in the genus Parthenothrips.

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