Commonly Intercepted Thrips at U.S. Ports-of-Entry from Africa, Europe, and the Mediterranean. IV. Miscellaneous thripine genera excluding Frankliniella, Iridothrips, and Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

Authors: Nickle, David

Submitted to: Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/8/2008
Publication Date: 1/27/2009
Citation: Nickle, D.A. 2009. Commonly Intercepted Thrips at U.S. Ports-of-Entry from Africa, Europe, and the Mediterranean. IV. Miscellaneous thripine genera excluding Frankliniella, Iridothrips, and Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 111:215-235.

Interpretive Summary: Thrips are minute insects that commonly occur on agricultural crops, grains, and ornamental flowers. Many plant-feeding species are serious agricultural and ornamental pests causing enormous losses annually, whereas other species have been implicated as importantvectors of several plant viruses. They are regularly intercepted at various ports-of-entry into the United States. Because of their small size and potential for causing agricultural damage, great care must be given to identifying these insects as they are intercepted. This paper provides a key to the 50 species of 65 miscellaneous genera of thrips that have been intercepted from Africa, Europe, and the Mediterranean Region. For the ten most commonly intercepted species, it includes distributions, host plants, and an assessment of pest potential and likelihood of being intercepted at U.S. ports-of-entry. Although this paper is designed primarily to aid the identification capabilities of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA, APHIS) identifiers at U.S. ports-of-entry, it will also be of interest all researchers concerned with thrips identification and control.

Technical Abstract: A total of 130 species of thrips occurring in Africa, Europe, and the Mediterranean region were intercepted by U. S. agricultural quarantine officers from shipments of plants and cut flowers at various ports-of-entry in the United States from 1983 to 1999. This paper is Part 4 of a guide to the identification of thrips coming into this country from these regions: it uses keys, line drawings, and scanning electron micrographs to identify 50 species in 35 miscellaneous thripid genera not covered in Parts 2 and 3. Of the 321 records identifiable to species, 70% of the interceptions were attributed to 10 species: Odontothrips karnyi clearly was most commonly intercepted, with significantly smaller percentages attributed to Limothrips cerealium, Anaphothrips obscurus, Neohydatothrips samayunkur, Limothrips denticornis, Synaptothrips distinctus, Tenothrips discolor, Ceratothripoides brunneus, Ceratothrips ericae, and Mycterothrips latus. Descriptions of these 10 species are provided.