Composition and Structure of Thripidae Populations in Crops of Three Geographical Regions in Colombia.

The composition and structure of thrips populations were determined in agroecosystems of 10 crops in the Andean, Caribbean, and Orinoquia regions of Colombia. From 18,183 identified specimens, 81 species belonging to 20 genera and three families were found. The Andean region was the most diverse with 60 species (n = 11,360, Chao 1 = 70.5, H' = 1.986), followed by the Caribbean region with 42 (n = 5,960, Chao 1 = 57.6, H' = 2.256) and the Orinoquia with 24 (n = 863, Chao 1 = 31; H' = 2.301). The crop with the richest fauna was avocado (Persea americana) Mill. with 40 species (n = 4,047, Chao 1 = 55.17, H' = 1.302), followed by coffee (Coffea arabica) L. with 26 (n = 1,395, Chao 1 = 33; H' = 1.026), cassava (Manihot esculenta) Crantz. with 25 (n = 1,050, Chao 1 = 29.67, H' = 1.635), citrus (Citrus spp.) with 22 (n= 836, Chao 1 = 25.75, H' = 1.748), corn (Zea mays) L. with 22 (n = 1,647, Chao 1 = 24.5, H' = 1.365), mango (Mangifera indica) L. with 17 (n = 1,144, Chao 1 = 18.5, H' = 1.303), blackberry (Rubus glaucus) Bentham. with 11 (n = 545, Chao 1 = 16, H' = 0.886), banana (Musa spp.) with 9 species (n = 1,798, Chao 1 = 9, H' = 0.208), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) L. with 8 (n = 5,621, Chao 1 = 11, H' = 0.913), and rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) Müll.Arg. with 4 species (n = 90, Chao 1 = 4, H' = 0.594). Differences were found in the distribution of the species in the altitudinal gradients and in the biogeographical regions. Frankliniella gardeniae Moulton, was the most abundant species, with the highest presence in crops, the greatest geographic and altitudinal distribution.

Presence and Distribution of Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Colombia.

The presence and distribution of Scirtothrips dorsalis was reported in Colombia in the Andean, Caribbean, and Orinoquia regions, from 0 to 1,200 meters of altitude (MASL) in the warm climate zone, with less than 2,000 mm rainfall per year and a temperature above 24°C, which corresponds to the tropical dry forest life zone (TDF). Larvae and adults of S. dorsalis were found on 13 plant species belonging to 12 genera in 12 families, of 181 plant species sampled from 129 genera in 47 families sampled. The botanical species with S. dorsalis presence included cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) L., mango (Mangifera indica) L., chili pepper (Capsicum frutescens) L., bell pepper (Capsicum annuum) L., orange (Citrus sinensis) L., jasmine orange (Murraya paniculata) L., rose (Rosa sp.), and the weeds Sesbania exaltata (Mill.), Phyllanthus niruri L., Ludwigia hyssopifolia Vahl, Euphorbia hypericifolia L., Echinochloa colona L., and Amaranthus spinosus (L.). S. dorsalis prefers young leaves and floral structures, but in cotton it was also associated with squares. The low number of host plants is evident, far from the extensive lists obtained by other authors in other latitudes. S. dorsalis invaded Colombia only in recent years, and this is the first study of the presence and distribution of this thrips in the area.

Replacement names for two homonyms of Liothrips brevitubus Karny: one from California, the other for a species damaging Jatropha crops in Mexico.

There are nearly 280 species of Liothrips listed from around the world (ThripsWiki 2016), all of them presumably feeding and breeding on the leaves of higher plants, and sometimes inducing or being associated with galls (Mound 1994). Despite this, for most of these species the identity of the plant species on which they are dependent is rarely known, and a particularly high proportion of the species are based on few specimens or even single individuals (cf Table 1). As a result, the identity of many of these named species continues to be in doubt. Modern identification keys are available only to the 23 Liothrips species known from Japan (Okajima 2006), the four European species known from Iran (Minaei & Mound 2014), and 14 species from Illinois (Stannard 1968). In contrast, the keys to 16 species of Liothrips from Brazil (Moulton 1933), to more than 80 species from Indonesia (Priesner 1968), and to 50 species from India (Ananthakrishnan & Sen 1980), are of little more than archival interest, in that they are based on few specimens with little allowance for intraspecific variation. Mound & Marullo (1996) listed over 80 Liothrips species from the Americas, although some of these are now placed in Pseudophilothrips (see Mound et al. 2010). That list included two homonyms of the Indonesian species Liothrips brevitubus Karny, one from Mexico and one from California. The homonym from Mexico is here recognised as applying to a species that in 2015 caused severe damage to a crop of Jatropha curcas in Chiapas. The objectives here are to provide a valid name for this pest, to facilitate its recognition among the 13 species of Liothrips recorded from Mexico (Table I), and also to replace the homonym from California.

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.

Natural Enemies of the Frankliniella Complex Species (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Ataulfo Mango Agroecosystems.

A field survey was conducted in Ataulfo mango (Mangifera indica L.) orchards in Chiapas, Mexico, with the objective of determining the natural enemies of the Frankliniella complex species (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). Seven species of this genus feed and reproduce in large numbers during the mango flowering. Two representative orchards were selected: the orchard "Tres A" characterized by an intensive use of agrochemicals directed against thrips, and the orchard "La Escondida" that did not spray insecticides. During mango flowering, five inflorescences were randomly collected every 5 d in both orchards, for a total of 18 sampling dates. Results revealed the presence of 18 species of arthropods that were found predating on Frankliniella. There were 11 species in the families Aeolothripidae, Phlaeothripidae, Formicidae, Anthocoridae and Chrysopidae; and seven species of spiders in the families Araneidae, Tetragnathidae, and Uloboridae. Over 88% of predators were anthocorids, including, Paratriphleps sp. (Champion), Orius insidiosus (Say), Orius tristicolor (White), and O. perpunctatus (Reuter). The orchard that did not spray insecticides had a significantly higher number of predators suggesting a negative effect of the insecticides on the abundance of these organisms.

Guerothrips moundi, gen. et sp.n. (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) from Chiapas, Mexico.

Guerothrips moundi gen. et sp. n., (Thripidae, Thripinae) is described from flowers of the herbaceus plant Waltheria indica (Sterculiaceae) found in Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico. G. moundi is a member of the Frankliniella genus-group, but is distinguished by the presence of sternal discal setae on the abdomen. The available specimens are all brachypterous.

A new species of Charassothrips Hood from Colombia (Insecta, Thysanoptera, Thripidae) with an updated key to the known species.

Charassothrips macroseta sp.n. is described and illustrated from Colombia. A key is provided to the five species now recognised in the Neotropical genus Charassothrips, each of which has the head and pronotum, mesonotum and metanotum prominently sculptured and the abdominal tergites with a craspedum on the posterior margins.

Nomenclatural problems among Thysanoptera (Insecta) of Costa Rica

We present data to argue that several recent papers on the Thysanoptera of Costa Rica are affected by unsatisfactory technical procedures, including failure to recognize intraspecific structural variation. Fourteen new synonyms are recognized for Costa Rica Thysanoptera, nine generic and five specific. Rev. Biol. Trop. 56 (2): 961-968. Epub 2008 June 30.

Presentamos datos para apoyar nuestro argumento de que varios artículos recientes sobre los Thysanoptera de Costa Rica se han visto afectados por procedimientos técnicos insatisfactorios, incluyendo el no reconocer la variación estructural intraespecífica. Presentamos nueve sinonimias en los tisanópteros de Costa Rica: nueve a nivel de género y cinco a nivel de especie.

Nomenclatural problems among Thysanoptera (Insecta) of Costa Rica.

We present data to argue that several recent papers on the Thysanoptera of Costa Rica are affected by unsatisfactory technical procedures, including failure to recognize intraspecific structural variation. Fourteen new synonyms are recognized for Costa Rica Thysanoptera, nine generic and five specific.