Holopothrips conducans (Priesner)

Lindner, Mariana F., Ferrari, Augusto, Mound, Laurence A. & Cavalleri, Adriano, 2018, Holopothrips diversity-a Neotropical genus of gall-inducing insects (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae), Zootaxa 4494 (1), pp. 1-99 : 32

Holopothrips conducans (Priesner)

( Figs 61–65 )

Phrasterothrips conducans Priesner, 1921: 210 .

Phrasterothrips brasiliensis Bagnall, 1924: 632 .

Diploacanthothrips fuscus Moulton, 1933: 240 .

Diagnostic features. Body (except antenna) uniformly brown; maxillary stylets parallel, touching medially in some specimens, retracted to posterior margin of compound eyes; two pairs of long setae on epimeral region; metanotal sculpture formed by slightly elongate and weakly defined reticles, sometimes with faint internal markings; pelta fully reticulate, bearing few internal markings in some reticles; abdominal tergite II irregularly reticulate; males with a single median transverse pore plate posterior to discal setae; female spermatheca not enlarged.

Comments. This thrips was originally described in the genus Phrasterothrips from specimens collected in Paraguay with no host information. The two synonyms recognised for this species were described from leaf-galls in Brazil. We studied specimens labelled as “cotypes” from SMF and compared with specimens from several parts of Brazil. Individuals considered belonging to the same species have been studied also from Nicaragua (see Mound & Marullo 1996). Although we observed some variation in body length, shape of tip of major setae and pelta sculpture, here we consider all of them to belong to the same species. Holopothrips conducans is very similar to H. acrioris , having only small differences in sculpture, but these species induce galls in different species of Myrcia. Holopothrips infestans sp. n. also resembles H. conducans , but lacks the second pair of ep and has the pelta with a different shape.

Field observations indicate that this thrips induces leaf-galls on Myrcia splendens , forming a convoluted terminal structure which is usually inhabited by dozens of individuals ( Fig. 6 ) ( Costa Lima 1935a). Not rarely, individuals of other Holopothrips species are also collected inside M. splendens galls, including two records of H. longisetus sp. n., specimens identified as H. erianthi , and three individuals of a still undescribed species.

Material studied. 2 male and 3 female cotypes; Paraguay, at SMF ( Germany). Slide with code SMF T 7468.

Non-type specimens: 2 males and 2 females, Nicaragua, Rio San Juan, in Eugenia sp. gall, vii.1994 (Rueda, R.), at BMNH . 10 males and 21 females, Brazil, Minas Gerais, São Tomé das Letras, in Myrcia sylvatica, 20.ix.2011 (Maia, V. C.), at UFRGS . 10 males, 8 females and 2 larvae, Brazil, Mato Grosso, Serra das Araras, in Myrcia sp., 21.ii.2013 and 21.xi.2013 (Kaminski, L. A.), at UFRGS . 4 males and 4 females, Brazil, Mato Grosso, Chapada dos Guimarães, in Myrcia ? splendens galls, 29.v.2013 (Kaminski, L. A.), at UFRGS . 5 males and 5 females, Brazil, Minas Gerais, Serra do Cipó , in unidentified Myrtaceae , 23.iv.2013 and 31.viii.2013 (Toma, T.), at UFRGS .

Figures

FIGURES 61–68. Holopothrips conducans and H. erianthi. 61–65 Holopothrips conducans: (61) head and pronotum; (62) metanotal sculpture; (63) shaded fore wing; (64) pelta; (65) pore plate on abdominal sternite VIII; 66–68 Holopothrips erianthi: (66) head and pronotum; (67) metanotum and pelta; (68) pore plates on abdominal sternites VI–VIII.

FIGURES 1–9. Leaf-galls induced by Holopothrips (white arrows). (1) galls on Siphoneugena reitzii (by H. curiosus); (2) galls on Myrciaria floribunda (by H. spermathecus) (Photo: André Santana); (3) gall on Myrcia guianensis (by H. molzi); (4) gall on Myrcia retorta (by H. striatus); (5) gall on Myrcia sp. (by H. cardosoi) (Photo: João C. Cardoso); (6) gall on Myrcia splendens (by H. conducans); (7) gall on Myrcia splendens (by H. longisetus); (8) gall on Myrcia selloi (by H. acrioris); (9) galls on Neomitranthes obscura (by H. varicolor) (Photo: Sheila Carvalho-Fernandes).