Heterothrips bicolor Hood, 1954

Pereyra, Veronica & Cavalleri, Adriano, 2012, The genus Heterothrips (Thysanoptera) in Brazil, with an identification key and seven new species, Zootaxa 3237, pp. 1-23 : 10-11

Heterothrips bicolor Hood, 1954

Heterothrips semiflavus De Santis, 1972: 431 . syn.n.

This species has previously been known only from the holotype female from Southern Brazil, but has now been collected in large numbers in Rio Grande do Sul. It is remarkable in having the body sharply bicolored ( Fig. 102 ), with all tibiae and abdominal segments III–VII yellow. Antennal segments I–II are yellow ( Fig. 104 ), and the fore wings are mostly pale, with a median brown area medially. The male is similar in coloration to the female ( Fig. 103 ). Males have large transverse pore plates on sternites VII–VIII, and short dorsolateral processes on tergite IX ( Fig. 107 ). No differences in reticulation pattern, wing color and abdominal microtrichia distribution could be found between this species and the single female from which semiflavus was described. This is a damaged specimen, without antennae, and the differences in leg and abdomen coloration are possibly because it is teneral, and thus paler than a mature adult.

Material examined. Holotype female, Brazil, Santa Catarina, Nova Teutônia, 26.xi.1949, (F. Plaumann) ( USNM); Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre (30º04’09”S, 51º07’12”W), 27.i.2011, 15 females, 1 male on Trema micrantha flowers ( Ulmaceae ) (A. Cavalleri); 1 female with similar data but on Eugenia uniflora ; São Paulo, Mogi-Guaçu, 17.v.2010, 1 female on Alchornea triplinervia flowers. Holotype female of H. semiflavus , Brazil, São Paulo, Barueri, 21.v.1967, in nest of Camponotus rufipes (L. De Santis) ( MLP).

Figures

FIGURES 102 – 109. Brazilian Heterothrips. H. bicolor female 102, 104 – 106: 102. Dorsal view; 104. Antenna; 105. Pronotum; 106. Mesonotum and metanotum. H. bicolor male 103, 107: 103. Dorsal view; 107. Abdominal tergites IX – X. H. decoratus female 108 - 109: 108. Dorsal view; 109. Abdominal tergites I – VI.