Figures
Fig. 1: Antenna (inset: V. - VIII. antennal segment)
        
      Fig. 2: Head dorsal with ocellar triangle
      
      Fig. 3: Pronotum
      
      Fig. 4: Meso- and metanotum
      Fig. 5: Fore- and hindwing
      
      Fig. 6: Sternites V and VI
      
      Fig. 7: Tergites IV and V
      
      Fig. 8: Tergites VIII and IX
    
    
ITS-RFLP gel patterns (1&8 ladder, 2 PCR-product, 3 RSAI, 4 HaeIII, 5 MspI, 6 HinfI, 7 AluI)
        
      Fig. 9: Primer pair O1/18J
      
      Fig. 10: Primer pair P1/28Z
    
Taxonomic Information
Species:
     Thrips simplex (Morison, 1930)
Synonyms:
    Taeniothrips gladiolicola Pussard, 1946  
    Taeniothrips quinani Moulton, 1936 
    Physothrips plurisetae Girault, 1933  
    Taeniothrips gladioli Moulton & Steinweden, 1931  
    Physothrips simplex Morison, 1930  
Common name:
    Gladiolus thrips
Present taxonomic position:
    Family: Thripidae Stephens, 1829 
    
    Subfamily: Thripinae (Stephens) Karny, 1921 
    
    Genus: Thrips Linneaeus, 1758
Species Recognition
General information about the genus Thrips:There are about 280 species currently recognized in the genus Thrips making this genus one of the largest groups within the Thysanoptera. They are separated from other genera in having the following characters, antenna comprising 7 or 8 segments with segments III and IV containing forked sense cones, the head has two pairs of ocellar setae (II and III), pair I is missing, the pronotum with four long setae on the posterior margin, forewing 1st vein usually has a row of setae interrupted by gaps, on lateral sides of abdominal tergites V to VIII there are paired ctenidia, abdominal tergite VIII with ctenidia posterior to the spiracles.
Typical character states of Thrips simplex:
Body color
      Mainly brown
Antennae
      Number of antennal segments: 8
      
      Segment IV - forked sensorium: scarcely extending beyond base of segment V
      
      Segments II and III shape: more or less symmetric
      
      Segments III & IV sensoria: emergent and forked
      
      Base of sensorium on antennal segment VI: no more than 2 times as wide as base of nearest seta
      
      Terminal antennal segments: rarely elongate 
Head:
    Distance between bases of ocellar setae III: greater than width of first ocellus
    
    Head shape between compound eyes: not prolonged
    
    Ocellar setae III on head: arising within ocellar triangle anterior to tangent of anterior margin of hind ocelli
    Postocular setae I: absent
    
    Surface of head, pronotum and fore legs: without strong reticulate sculpture
    
    Ocellar setae I in front of anterior ocellus: absent
Prothorax
      Number of pairs of elongate pronotal setae: 0-3
      
      Number of pairs of elongate posteroangular pronotal setae: 2
      
      Pronotum shape: rectangular
Number of pairs of pronotum posteromarginal minor setae: 3-4
      
      Number of pairs of pronotum anteromarginal minor setae: 4
Mesothorax
      Mesothoracic endofurca: with median spinula
Metathorax
      Metanotal median area sculptured lines: with mainly equiangular reticulation
      
      Metanotal median setae length: longer than lateral metanotal setae
      
      Metanotal median setae position: arising behind anterior margin
      
      Metanotum: with campaniform sensilla
      
      Metanotum major sclerite: with two major sclerites, metascutum and metascutellum
      
      Metanotum median area: with at least some equiangular reticulation
      
      Metanotum sculpture: without dominant sculptured triangle medially
      
      Metathoracic endofurca: transverse, sometimes with simple median spinula
Wings
      Wings: present and more than half as long as abdomen
      
      First vein of forewing: distinct from costal vein
      
      Forewing anterior margin: with setae and cilia but cilia longer than setae
      
      Forewing clavus: terminal veinal seta longer than subterminal seta
      
      Forewing color: uniformly dark or shaded, but with base (or sub-base) pale
      
      Forewing costal fringe of cilia: arising at anterior margin of wing
      
      Forewing costal setae at middle of wing: shorter than median width of wing
      
      Forewing first vein setal row: incomplete, with setae not closely and uniformly spaced
      
      Forewing posterior margin cilia: undulated near apex
      
      Forewing second vein setal row: complete, with setae closely and uniformly spaced
      
      Forewing surface: not reticulate
Forewings: with veins, setae and microtrichia
Legs
      Fore tarsus inner apex: without tooth
      
      Fore tibial apex: not extending around fore tarsus - with small curved claw ventrolaterally
      
      Mid and hind tarsi: with two segments
Abdomen:
      Pleurotergal discal setae: absent
      
      Abdominal pleurotergites: with many rows of fine microtrichia
      
      Abdominal segment X: never tubular, longitudinally incomplete ventrally in both sexes
      
      Abdominal sternite II: with 1 or 2 discal setae in addition to marginal setae
      
      Abdominal sternite III of female: without glandular areas
      
      Abdominal sternite VII: with discal setae present on median area
      
      Abdominal sternite VII median marginal setae: arising at margin or in front of margin
      
      Abdominal sternites IV , V and VI: with discal setae present medially as well as marginal setae
Number of lateral marginal setae on abdominal tergite II: 3-4
Abdominal tergites: without curved wing-retaining setae
Abdominal tergites IV & V median setal pair: much shorter than distance between their bases
Abdominal tergites V-VII: with pair of ctenidia laterally
Number of discal setae on sternite V: 3
Setae on abdominal tergite X: slender
Surface of lateral thirds of abdominal tergites: without regular rows of fine microtrichia
Ctenidia on tergite VIII: posteromesad to spiracle
Tergite VIII posteromarginal comb of microtrichia: present, complete medially
Tergite VIII posteromarginal microtrichia: short and irregular in length
Lines of sculpture on pleurotergite II: with ciliate microtrichia 
Biology
Life history:
     As with other thrips species the life cycle from egg to adult is dependent on temperature. The full cycle can take about 15 days (Lewis, 1973) to over a month and adults may live for more than one month producing several generations in one year depending on seasonal weather. With greenhouse temperatures the developmental time from egg to adult can decrease to about one week.
Host plants:
      Gladiolus, Neomarica (Iridaceae) 
    
Vector capacity:
    None identified
Current known distribution:
    Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Central and South America, Europe, North America
Additional notes:
      Thrips simplex is generally found on the flowers, leaves and corms of its host plants and has been spread around the world through ornamental trade of its host plants.
Bibliography
Bailey, SF (1957): The thrips of
        California Part I: Suborder Terebrantia. Bulletin of the California Insect
        Survey 4, no. 5: 143-220.
        Lewis, T (1973): Thrips their biology, ecology and economic
        importance. Academic Press Inc., London Ltd. 349 pp. 
        Miyazaki, M & Kudo,
        I (1987): Occurrence of the Gladiolus Thrips, Thrips
        simplex      (Morison), in Japan (Thysanoptera, Thripidae). Applied Entomology and
      Zoology, 22, 230-232.
      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. 
Moritz G, Mound LA, Morris DC, Goldarazena A (2004):  Pest
thrips of the world - an identification and information system using molecular
and microscopial methods. CBIT, University of Queensland,CDROM ISBN 1-86499-781-8. 
Mound,
LA & Kibby, G (1998): Thysanoptera: An identification guide,  (2nd
edition). CAB International, Wallingford and New York, 70pp. 
Mound, LA & Marullo, R (1996): The
thrips of Central and South America: An Introduction (Insecta: Thysanoptera).
Associated Publishers, Gainesville. 
      Nakahara, S (1994): The Genus Thrips Linnaeus
      (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) of the New World. USDA Agricultural Research
      Service Technical bulletin No. 1822. 
      Nickle, DA (2006): A review of the
      species of Thrips Linnaeus, 1758 (Thysanoptera : Thripidae) from
      Africa, Europe, and the Mediterranean region. Proceedings of the Entomological
      Society of Washington, 108, 443-466.
      Nickle, DA (2008): Commonly intercepted
      thrips at US ports-of-entry from Africa, Europe, and the Mediterranean.
      III. The genus Thrips Linnaeus, 1758 (Thysanoptera : Thripidae). Proceedings
      of the Entomological Society of Washington, 110, 165-185.
      Ochoa, DL, ZavaletaMejia,
      E, Johansen, RM, Herrera, A & Soriano, EC (1996): Tospoviruses, weeds
      and thrips associated with chrysanthemum (Dendranthema
      grandiflora Tzvelev
      cv Polaris). International Journal of Pest Management, 42, 157-159.
      Stannard, LJ (1968): The thrips, or Thysanoptera, of
      Illinois. Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin 29: 215-552.
      Steigen,
      AL & Klekowski, RZ (1978): Oxygen-consumption in 2 species
      of Thysanoptera, Haplothrips aculeatus Fabr and Taeniothrips
      simplex
      (Mor). Polish Journal of Ecology, 26, 573-582.
      Walker, WF (1974): Response
      of selected Thysanoptera to colored surfaces. Environ.Entomol., 3, 295-304.
Links:
        Mound, LA (2005): Thysanoptera (Thrips) of the World
        - A Checklist. http://www.ento.csiro.au/thysanoptera/worldthrips.html








































