Chemical Camouflage Induced by Diet in a Pest Treehopper on Host Plants.

Ants patrol foliage and exert a strong selective pressure on herbivorous insects, being their primary predators. As ants are chemically oriented, some organisms that interact with them (myrmecophiles) use chemical strategies mediated by their cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) to deal with ants. Thus, a better understanding of the ecology and evolution of the mutualistic interactions between myrmecophiles and ants depends on the accurate recognition of these chemical strategies. Few studies have examined whether treehoppers may use an additional strategy called chemical camouflage to reduce ant aggression, and none considered highly polyphagous pest insects. We analyzed whether the chemical similarity of the CHC profiles of three host plants from three plant families (Fabaceae, Malvaceae, and Moraceae) and the facultative myrmecophilous honeydew-producing treehopper Aetalion reticulatum (Hemiptera: Aetalionidae), a pest of citrus plants, may play a role as a proximate mechanism serving as a protection against ant attacks on plants. We found a high similarity (>80%) between the CHCs of the treehoppers and two of their host plants. The treehoppers acquire CHCs through their diet, and the chemical similarity varies according to host plant. Chemical camouflage on host plants plays a role in the interaction of treehoppers with their ant mutualistic partners.

The Tubulifera (Hexapoda, Thysanoptera) of the Maltese Islands.

This work records the presence of 13 species of tubuliferan thrips from the Maltese Islands. Eleven of these species, namely Bolothripsdentipes, B.insularis, Priesneriellamavromoustakisi, Gynaikothripsuzeli, Haplothripsacanthoscelis, H.aculeatus, H.setiger, H.tritici, Karnyothripsflavipes, Liothripsreuteri and Neoheegeriadalmatica are new records for the Maltese Islands. Two species: Gynaikothripsficorum and Karnyothripsflavipes can be described as subcosmopolitan in distribution, another three species: Haplothripsaculeatus, H.setiger and H.tritici are distributed across the Holarctic and Palaearctic regions, while a further seven: Bolothripsdentipes, B.insularis, Haplothripsacanthoscelis, Liothripsoleae, L.reuteri, Neoheegeriadalmatica and Priesneriellamavromoustakisi have a European and/or Mediterranean distribution. Gynaikothripsficorum and G.uzeli are considered as alien species. A key to the Tubulifera of the Maltese Islands as well as chorological data for these recorded species are provided in this work.

Tiny insects, big troubles: a review of BOLD's COI database for Thysanoptera (Insecta).

DNA Barcoding is an important tool for disciplines such as taxonomy, phylogenetics and phylogeography, with Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD) being the largest database of partial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences. We provide the first extensive revision of the information available in this database for the insect order Thysanoptera, to assess: how many COI sequences are available; how representative these sequences are for the order; and the current potential of BOLD as a reference library for specimen identification and species delimitation. The COI database at BOLD currently represents only about 5% of the over 6400 valid thrips species, with a heavy bias towards a few species of economic importance. Clear Barcode gaps were observed for 24 out of 33 genera evaluated, but many outliers were also observed. We suggest that the COI sequences available in BOLD as a reference would not allow for accurate identifications in about 30% of Thysanoptera species in this database, which rises to 40% of taxa within Thripidae, the most sampled family within the order. Thus, we call for caution and a critical evaluation in using BOLD as a reference library for thrips Barcodes, and future efforts should focus on improving the data quality of this database.

Atlantic flower-invertebrate interactions: A data set of occurrence and frequency of floral visits.

Encounters between flowers and invertebrates are key events for the functioning of tropical forests. Assessing the structure of networks composed of the interactions between those partners leads to a better understanding of ecosystem functioning and the effects of environmental factors on ecological processes. Gathering such data is, however, costly and time-consuming, especially in the highly diverse tropics. We aimed to provide a comprehensive repository of available flower-invertebrate interaction information for the Atlantic Forest, a South American tropical forest domain. Data were obtained from published works and "gray literature," such as theses and dissertations, as well as self-reports by co-authors. The data set has ~18,000 interaction records forming 482 networks, each containing between one and 1061 interaction links. Each network was sampled for about 200 h or less, with few exceptions. A total of 641 plant genera within 136 different families and 39 orders were reported, with the most abundant and rich families being Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Rubiaceae. Invertebrates interacting with these plants were all arthropods from 10 orders, 129 families, and 581 genera, comprising 2419 morphotypes (including 988 named species). Hymenoptera was the most abundant and diverse order, with at least six times more records than the second-ranked order (Lepidoptera). The complete data set shows Hymenoptera interacting with all plant orders and also shows Diptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Hemiptera to be important nodes. Among plants, Asterales and Fabales had the highest number of interactions. The best sampled environment was forest (~8000 records), followed by pastures and crops. Savanna, grasslands, and urban environments (among others) were also reported, indicating a wide range of approaches dedicated to collecting flower-invertebrate interaction data in the Atlantic Forest domain. Nevertheless, most reported data were from forest understory or lower strata, indicating a knowledge gap about flower-invertebrate interactions at the canopy. Also, access to remote regions remains a limitation, generating sampling bias across the geographical range of the Atlantic Forest. Future studies in these continuous and hard-to-access forested areas will yield important new information regarding the interactions between flowers and invertebrates in the Atlantic Forest. There are no copyright restrictions on the data set. Please cite this data paper if the data are used in publications and teaching events.

Morphological identification of Glyptothrips species (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae).

Glyptothrips is a New World genus with 14 species of fungivorous Phlaeothripidae found in leaf litter. Identification of species in this genus is difficult due to limited collections of specimens, outdated descriptions, and a lack of keys and images. Here we start addressing these limitations by providing illustrations for each of these species, together with a table of diagnostic characters, and a key to nine species recorded in South America.

Colored sticky traps for monitoring phytophagous thrips (Thysanoptera) in mango agroecosystems, and their impact on beneficial insects.

The capture efficiency of six colored sticky traps (blue, green, orange, purple, white, and yellow) was tested in mango agroecosystems of Mexico with the purpose to: (i) document the diversity of Thysanoptera; (ii) determine the attraction of phytophagous thrips; (iii) assess the impact of these traps on beneficial insects; and (iv) assess the relationship between the density of Frankliniella thrips captured on traps and those found in the inflorescences. The use of colored sticky traps has revealed a great diversity of thrips and beneficial insects in the mango agroecosystem. A total of 16,441 thrips were caught on sticky traps throughout the sampling period, of which 16,251 (98.8%) were thrips adults and 190 (1.2%) larvae. Forty one species of thrips were collected either from sticky traps or from inflorescences. Of these, 32 species feed either on leaves or flowers. Frankliniella cephalica, F. gardeniae and F. invasor, were the most abundant species. Scirtothrips citri and S. manihoti were also captured among other phytophagous thrips. The white trap captured significantly more Frankliniella species and also had the smallest capture of beneficial insects. Yellow traps were the most attractive for Scirtothrips species, with low detrimental effects on insect pollinators, although high impact on natural enemies. Thrips species captured on sticky traps showed a low and non-significantly correlation with respect to the density of thrips in mango inflorescences. Although sticky traps did not predict the density of Frankliniella populations in mango inflorescences, the study represents a substantial progress in the use of color traps in mango agroecosystems. Colored sticky traps would be a good option for monitoring mango thrips to detect them at earlier stages of infestation to implement management tactics and avoid the building-up of thrips populations.

Zootaxa 20th Anniversary Celebration: Insect Order Thysanoptera.

Although the first issue of Zootaxa appeared in 2001 it was not until two years later, in August 2003, that this aspiring and inspiring new journal issued the first paper on the insect Order Thysanoptera, in Volume 268. Moreover, it was not until February 2005 that the second paper concerning this group appeared in Zootaxa. The subsequent expansion is summarized most succinctly by the number of Thysanoptera papers that appeared in Zootaxa in each of the four five-year periods of these two decades: 5; 40; 92; 134 (see Table 1). The 270 papers concerning this group of insects that appeared in Zootaxa over the 20-year period involved more than 120 authors. These papers were submitted by workers from about 30 different countries, but most of them were from areas of high but previously unexplored species diversity, particularly Australia, Brazil, China, India, Iran, Japan and Malaysia. However, significant contributions were submitted from the far north, including Poland and Russia, as well as the far south, such as Argentina and New Zealand. One reason for the popularity of Zootaxa amongst workers on thrips is presumably the knowledge that this section is edited by two active students of these insects. The editors are pleased to have rejected no more than five papers over these two decades, but they provide much help to authors in shaping manuscripts to ensure that the submitted information is both appropriate, scientifically correct, novel and clearly expressed. Moreover, the journal ensures that manuscripts are published very quickly, usually within four weeks of acceptance by the editors. For the readers a further advantage of Zootaxa is that just over 50% of the published articles on Thysanoptera are freely available on the web, as authors have arranged for Open Access. The thrips publications issued in Zootaxa have included descriptions of 563 new species and 41 new genera of Thysanoptera. These new species represent 9% of the 6300 valid extant species currently listed in this Order, and the new genera represent 5% of the 780 currently recognized genera (ThripsWiki 2021). Many of the publications are only of one or two pages and are issued as Correspondence. Each of these deals with a single new species, or a previously unknown male of a species, or some new and particularly unusual record for a country or host plant. At the opposite extreme are the Monographs that involve revisions of all of the species in a genus, such as the 60 species recognised in the South American genus Holopothrips, or the 30 species known in the worldwide genus Mycterothrips. Others provide illustrated keys to large numbers of genera, such as the 100 genera of Phlaeothripinae that have been recorded from South East Asia. Such extensive studies provide the factual resource on which many of the Articles published in Zootaxa are based. These Articles range from taxonomic revisions of small genera, or of the species found in particular geographic areas, through studies on character state variation and homologies, to historical accounts and catalogues. The very considerable increase in information in recent years about the taxonomic and biological diversity of this group of insects (Mound Hastenpflug-Vesmanis2021) owes much to the existence of the journal Zootaxa.

Merothrips meridionalis sp.n. (Thysanoptera: Merothripidae), a new fungivorous species from subtropical South America.

We here describe Merothrips meridionalis sp.n. based on specimens originally treated by J.D. Hood as an apterous form of M. mirus. The available data on the distribution of this new species suggest that it is widespread through Brazil, living in sympatry with M. floridensis, M. mirus and M. tympanis. However, the distribution of this new species is possibly further south than other Merothripidae species recorded from South America.

Conventional Sampling Plan for Common Blossom Thrips, Frankliniella schultzei (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), in Bell Pepper.

Bell pepper [Capsicum annuum L. (Solanales: Solanaceae)] is cultivated worldwide, and the consumption of its fruits has increased because this plant is a functional food rich in antioxidants. Frankliniella schultzei (Trybom) is an important bell pepper pest worldwide. Sampling plans are essential components of integrated pest management programs. Thus, we developed a conventional sampling plan for F. schultzei in bell pepper. The work was conducted during 2 yr in commercial bell pepper fields in the vegetative, flowering, and fruiting stages. Our results indicated that the sample and the ideal technique for the evaluation of F. schultzei populations in bell pepper were the apical canopy and the beating of this part of the plant in a white plastic tray, respectively. The densities of F. schultzei were adjusted to a negative binomial distribution, and they presented a common aggregation parameter (Kcommon = 0.3176), which made it possible to generate a sampling plan that could be used in bell pepper plantations at all plant growth stages. The developed sampling plan consisted of an evaluation of 61 plants per field that took 23 and 38 min to run on 1 and 5 ha fields, respectively. In the 1 and 5 ha fields, US$1.27 and US$1.92 were spent per sampling, respectively. Thus, the plan developed in this work can be incorporated into integrated management programs for F. schultzei in bell pepper crops by facilitating the accurate, representative and feasible sampling of this pest at all stages of the plant.

Structural and Chemical Profiles of Myrcia splendens (Myrtaceae) Leaves Under the Influence of the Galling Nexothrips sp. (Thysanoptera).

Thysanoptera-induced galls commonly culminate in simple folding or rolling leaf gall morphotypes. Most of these galls are induced by members of the suborder Tubulifera, with only a few species of the suborder Terebrantia being reported as gall inducers. The Terebrantia, as most of the gall inducers, manipulates the host plant cellular communication system, and induces anatomical and biochemical changes in its host plant. In an effort to keep its homeostasis, the host plant reacts to the stimuli of the galling insect and triggers chemical signaling processes. In contrast to free-living herbivores, the signaling processes involving galling herbivores and their host plants are practically unknown. Current investigation was performed into two steps: first, we set the structural profile of non-galled and galled leaves, and looked forward to find potential alterations due to gall induction by an undescribed species of Nexothrips (suborder Terebrantia) on Myrcia splendens. Once oil glands had been altered in size and number, the second step was the investigation of the chemical profile of three tissue samples: (1) non-galled leaves of a control individual, (2) non-galled leaves of galled plants, and (3) galls. This third sample was divided into two groups: (3.1) galls from which the inducing thrips were manually removed and (3.2) galls macerated with the inducing thrips inside. The chemical profile was performed by gas chromatography/ mass spectrometric detector after headspace solid-phase extraction. The galling activity of the Nexothrips sp. on M. splendens culminates in mesophyll compactness interspersed to diminutive hypersensitive spots, development of air cavities, and the increase in size and number of the secretory glands. Seventy-two compounds were completely identified in the volatile profile of the three samples, from which, sesquiterpenes and aldehydes, pertaining to the "green leaf volatile" (GLVs) class, are the most abundant. The rare event of gall induction by a Terebrantia revealed discrete alterations toward leaf rolling, and indicated quantitative differences related to the plant bioactivity manipulated by the galling thrips. Also, the content of methyl salicylate has varied and has been considered a potential biomarker of plant resistance stimulated as a long-distance effect on M. splendens individuals.

Holopothrips diversity-a Neotropical genus of gall-inducing insects (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae).

The genus Holopothrips represents the main Neotropical group of thrips associated with plant galls, and several of the 36 currently described species are known to induce or invade galls of other organisms. The existence of several Holopothrips specimens in collections that do not belong to any of the already described species, allied to the absence of basic biological information for several species, such as host plants and habit, shows that the current knowledge on the genus is severely lacking. Here we start addressing these problems, by describing 24 new species: H. acrioris, H. atlanticus, H. bicolor, H. brevicapitatum, H. cardosoi, H. curiosus, H. flavisetis, H. graziae, H. inconspicuus, H. infestans, H. irregularis, H. johanseni, H. kaminskii, H. longihamus, H. longisetus, H. magnus, H. maiae, H. nigrisetis, H. nigrum, H. punctatus, H. reticulatus, H. singularis, H. spermathecus, H. varicolor. This study also includes information on galls for several species; an updated and illustrated key to species; and comments on the morphological diversity of the group. With that, we hope to lay the taxonomic and morphological bases for future studies in this group, focusing on its diversity, ecology and phylogenetic relationships.

A new leaf-galling Holopothrips (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) and the structural alterations on Myrcia retorta (Myrtaceae).

Holopothrips striatus sp. n. is described inducing leaf-galls on Myrcia retorta (Myrtaceae) in Southern Brazil. The thrips is one of the few species of Holopothrips known to have the metanotum with striate rather than reticulate sculpture. The galls are green with brownish spots, and are characterised by a mix of folding and rolling of the leaf lamina upwards.

Holopothrips molzi sp.n. (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae): natural history and interactions in Myrtaceae galls.

Holopothrips molzi sp. n. (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) is described from southern Brazil inducing leaf galls on Myrcia guianensis (Myrtaceae). Field observations revealed that the numbers of this thrips were highly variable within galls, and two other insect species were recorded living in these galls: Myrciathrips variabilis Cavalleri et al. (Phlaeothripidae) and an eulophid wasp (Hymenoptera). We investigated here if morphological traits of leaf and gall and abundance of the invader thrips were correlated with the gall inducer's abundance. In order to determine the feeding habit and behaviour of M. variabilis and its interactions with the gall inducer we performed observations ad libitum and attack simulation tests on both thrips species to observe their response to possible invaders. Our results showed that leaf size is not related to H. molzi abundance, and gall size is relevant only when total numbers of both thrips species are considered. Myrciathrips variabilis was observed feeding on gall tissues, and no direct antagonistic interactions between the two thrips were recorded. The results of the behavioural tests simulating attacks were remarkably different in the two thrips species, indicating different strategies when threatened or disturbed. The interaction between the two thrips species is probably a case of inquilinism.

Ambaeolothrips: a new genus of Neotropical Aeolothripidae (Thysanoptera), with observations on the type-species from mango trees in Mexico.

Ambaeolothrips gen. n. is diagnosed for three Neotropical species: the type species romanruizi Ruiz-De la Cruz et al. comb. n. from Mexico, microstriatus Hood comb. n. from Panama, and pampeanus sp. n. from southern Brazil. Variation is discussed among character states that are used in the generic classification of the family Aeolothripidae, including segmentation of the antennae and maxillary palps, sculpture of the metanotum and presence of sternal discal setae. New field observations on the biology of romanruizi indicate that this species is phytophagous in flowers and on leaves, with no evidence of predation on the larvae of other thrips.

Thrips collected in watermelon crops in the semiarid of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil / Tripes coletados na cultura da melancia no semiárido do Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil

The aim of this research was to report the occurrence of two species of thrips in watermelon crops in the semiarid region of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. From August to September 2011, we performed weekly sampling of thrips in a commercial watermelon production area with 10,000m2, using 20 Moericke traps. We captured a total of 431 thrips, belonging to Frankliniella schultzei (Trybom) (Thripidae) and Haplothrips gowdeyi (Franklin) (Phlaeothripidae). This is the first report of H. gowdeyi in watermelon crops in Brazil.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi relatar a ocorrência de duas espécies de tripes na cultura da melancia na região do semiárido do Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil. Durante os meses de agosto e setembro de 2011 foram realizadas coletas de tripes semanalmente, em uma área de produção comercial de melancia de 10.000m2, utilizando-se 20 armadilhas Moericke. Foram capturados um total de 431 tripes, pertencente às espécies Frankliniella schultzei (Trybom) (Thripidae) e Haplothrips gowdeyi (Franklin) (Phlaeothripidae). Este é o primeiro relato de ocorrência destas espécies no semiárido do Rio Grande do Norte e o primeiro registro de H. gowdeyi na cultura da melancia no Brasil.

Two new ectoparasitic species of Aulacothrips Hood, 1952 (Thysanoptera: Heterothripidae) associated with ant-tended treehoppers (Hemiptera).

Aulacothrips Hood, 1952 is a remarkable South American genus of ectoparasitic thrips which feed on gregarious ant-tended hemipterans (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha). Here we describe two new species of this genus infesting membracid treehoppers in Colombia and Brazilian Amazon, and provide a key to the five Aulacothrips spp. now recognised. Aulacothrips levinotus n. sp. is unique in having pronotum with only two pairs of major setae; and Aulacothrips tenuis n. sp. has unusually long abdominal tergite IX. These findings will be helpful for understanding the species diversification in this genus, bringing a new perspective on the diversity of Aulacothrips spp. and their myrmecophilous hemipteran hosts.

The neotropical flower-living genus Lenkothrips (Thysanoptera, Heterothripidae): three new species and an identification key.

Three new species are described in the South American genus of flower-feeding thrips, Lenkothrips De Santis & Sureda: L. mollinediae sp. n. from four species of Mollinedia (Monimiaceae) in Brazil and Ecuador; L. guaraniticus sp. n. and L. kaminskii sp. n. from Malpighiaceae in Brazil. An illustrated key to the five Lenkothrips species now recognized is provided.

Thrips species (Thysanoptera, Terebrantia) inhabiting irrigated rice and surrounding habitats in Cachoeirinha, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil / Espécies de tripes (Thysanoptera, Terebrantia) habitantes do arroz irrigado e habitats adjacentes em Cachoeirinha, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

In Brazil, almost nothing is known about the thrips fauna associated with rice crops. This is especially true for Rio Grande do Sul State (RS), the major rice producer in Brazil, where no systematic surveys have been conducted. Thus, this work records preliminarily the species of suborder Terebrantia inhabitanting irrigated rice (RC) and three nearby habitats: the area selected for rice, before cultivation (BR), grassland (GR) and forest border (FB) in Cachoeirinha, RS (50º58'21"W; 29º55'30"S). Eight field trips were carried out between October/2004 and February/2005 to Estação Experimental do Arroz in Cachoeirinha. Thrips specimens were collected with sweeping net and transported to laboratory for identification. A total of 623 adults terebrantians were recorded, belonging to two families and 18 species. Frankliniella rodeos (55.5 percent), Neohydatothrips cf. paraensis (30.3 percent) and Frankliniella schultzei (5.6 percent), were the most abundant, comprising more than 90 percent of the individuals. FB showed the highest species richness (S=15), followed by GR (S=10), RC (S=9) and BR (S=6). FB presented a low number of individuals (14.0 percent), contrasting with GR (44.8 percent) and BR (36.7 percent). In general, thrips abundance in RC was low at EEA (4.5 percent), and few species seems to effectively use rice as a host-plant. Two species previously considered of economic importance were found, F. rodeos and F. schultzei, the latter a new record for rice in Brazil. Five species are new records to RS.

No Brasil, pouco se sabe a respeito da fauna de tripes associada à cultura do arroz. Isto é especialmente válido para o Rio Grande do Sul (RS), o maior produtor de arroz do país, onde nenhum levantamento sistemático tem sido realizado. Visando suprir tal lacuna, este estudo registra preliminarmente as espécies da subordem Terebrantia habitantes do arroz irrigado (RC) e de três habitats vizinhos: área antes do plantio do arroz (BR), campo (GR) e borda de mata (FB) em Cachoeirinha, RS (50º58'21"W; 29º55'30"S). Foram realizadas oito saídas de campo entre outubro de 2004 e fevereiro de 2005 para a Estação Experimental do Arroz em Cachoeirinha. Os tripes foram coletados através de varredura e levados até o laboratório para identificação. Foram amostrados 623 Terebrantia adultos, pertencendo a duas famílias e 18 espécies. Frankliniella rodeos (55,5 por cento), Neohydatothrips cf. paraensis (30,3 por cento) e Frankliniella schultzei (5,6 por cento), foram as espécies mais abundantes, perfazendo mais de 90 por cento da amostra. FB apresentou a maior riqueza de espécies (S=15), seguida por GR (S=10), RC (S=9) e BR (S=6). FB apresentou um baixo número de indivíduos (14,0 por cento), contrastando com GR (44,8 por cento) e BR (36,7 por cento). No geral, a abundância de tripes em RC na área de estudo foi baixa (4,5 por cento), e provavelmente poucas espécies usam efetivamente o arroz como hospedeira. Foram coletadas duas espécies de importância econômica, F. rodeos and F. schultzei, sendo esta última um novo registro para o arroz no Brasil. Cinco espécies são novos registros para o RS.