Greenhouse Thrips
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adult females; Photo by Lyle Buss, University of Florida |
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adult female; Photo by Cheryle O'Donnell, USDA-APHIS-PPQ |
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adults with feeding damage; Photo by Lyle Buss, University of Florida |
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adult with larvae and black fecal deposits; Photo by Lyle Buss, University of Florida |
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larvae and pupae; Photo by Lyle Buss, University of Florida |
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adult female; Photo courtesy of Hoddle, Mound, and Paris, 2008, Thrips of California |
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adult female head; Photo courtesy of Hoddle, Mound, and Paris, 2008, Thrips of California |
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adult female forewing; Photo courtesy of Hoddle, Mound, and Paris, 2008, Thrips of California |
Scientific name
Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis (Bouche)
Family
Thripidae (subfamily Panchaetothripinae)
Description
Adult (female): Body dark brown, abdomen golden in color in newly emerged adults, with heavy reticulatereticulate:
net-like
sculpture; antennae with 8 segments; forewings slender with no long setae and rounded apex, pale with hind margin and veinal fork shaded; head strongly reticulatereticulate:
net-like
; pronotumpronotum:
the dorsal surface of the first thoracic segment
reticulate at anterior and posterior, with no long setae; legs paler in color than body.
Diagnostic features
Body is dark with pale colored legs and with heavy reticulatereticulate:
net-like
sculpture. Forewings slender (narrow) with broad bases, no scultpture, and a rounded apex.
Distribution
Originally from South America. Greenhouse thrips are now widespread in Europe, North America, South America, Australia, Africa, and Asia.
Hosts
Palms: a wide diversity of palms
Other: a wide variety of plants
Additional comments
Damage can be detected by leaves being distorted, mottled, curled under, and turning brown. Leaves bear characteristic black spots of larval fecal material. Plants become stunted and flowers become discolored. Fruit surfaces become bronze in color. Large populations are particularly common on plants that are water-stressed.
Species identification requires at least a dissecting microscope with 40x magnification. Often, slide mounted specimens are required for verification.
