Heliothrips similis Nakahara et al.

Silva, Larinne De Maria Rocha, O’Donnell, Cheryle A. & Lima, Élison Fabrício Bezerra, 2024, Species identity crisis among New World members of the genus Heliothrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae: Panchaetothripinae), Zootaxa 5489 (1), pp. 153-172 : 169

Heliothrips similis Nakahara et al.

( Figs 93–104 )

This species is native to Brazil, and known in the states that comprise the Atlantic Forest (Bahia, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul) and Pampa (Rio Grande do Sul) Biomes. It is presumably polyphagous, having been collected from leaves of bamboo, Eugenia sp. , mango, Miconia calvescens and Plinia cauliflora ( Lima et al. 2020; Cavalleri & Gonçalves 2022). The absence of a flange on the metascutum ( Fig. 99 ), and the position of the campaniform sensilla in the reticulated area of the abdominal tergite I are unique among Heliothrips species. The shape of the mesonotum and mesoscutal can vary within individuals, while the campaniform sensilla can be displaced laterally and at varying distances from one to three reticulations, but are never found in the anterior area of tergite I ( Figs 98, 100 ). Teneral males may have a golden yellow abdomen ( Fig. 95 ) as in hemorrhoidalis, and the sternal pore plates may be longer in some individuals ( Figs 102–104 ).

Figures

FIGURES 93–104. Heliothrips similis. (93) female; (94) mature male; (95) teneral male; (96) antenna; (97) head and pronotum; (98) meso- and metanotum specimen 1; (99) meso- and metanotum specimen 2; (100) abdominal tergite I with median pair of campaniform sensilla displaced laterally; (101) abdominal tergites VIII–X; (102) male abdominal sternites II–VIII (specimen 1); (103) male abdominal sternites II–VIII (specimen 1); (104) male abdominal sternites II–VIII (teneral specimen).