Leptothrips cassiae (Watson)

Mound, Laurence & O’Donnell, Cheryle, 2017, Predation, phytophagy and character state confusion among North American species of the genus Leptothrips (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripinae), Zootaxa 4294 (3), pp. 301-315 : 306

Leptothrips cassiae (Watson)

Haplothrips cassiae Watson, 1920: 23

Known only from Florida, this is one of the species that lacks transverse striae medially on the pronotum. Johansen (1987) placed cassiae in his “ Group Obesus ” and thus distinguished it from mali on the basis of the claimed differences in the shape of the tube discussed and illustrated above. Almost no structural difference has been detected between specimens identified as cassiae from Southeastern USA, and specimens identified as oribates from Southwestern USA. These two species have the mesonotal transverse striae ( Fig. 1 ) more widely spaced than in mali . However, a single female (in ERMR) from Venezuela has been studied that has the mesonotum closely striate but otherwise shares the character states of cassiae .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Leptothrips species of North America. (1) cassiae; (2) mali; (3) pini; (4) purpuratus; (5) occipitalis holotype; (6) opimus holotype, antennal segments I – III.