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

Abstract

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.

Litotetothrips Priesner (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae); an Asian genus newly recorded from Australia with two new species and one new combination

“…Some species of Leeuwenia induce remarkable galls (Mound & Tree 2021a), but other species in this genus are known only from leaves with little or no deformation. Similar variation occurs between species in the Neotropical genus Holopothrips in their effect on leaves (Lindner et al 2018). Priesner, 1929: 449.…”

Host-plant relationships of gall-inducing Thysanoptera – the lack of patterns

“…Particularly enigmatic are the relationships of the genus Holopothrips, the major Neotropical group of gall-inducing thrips. The character states of the many species in this genus (Lindner et al, 2018) are such that no clear relationships to any other Phlaeothripinae have been suggested. These species induce galls on many different plant genera, although a few of them are invaders of old, abandoned galls induced by cecidomyiid flies, thus emphasising yet again the behavioural opportunism so common amongst Thysanoptera.…”

Gallers as leaf rollers: ecosystem engineering in a tropical system and its effects on arthropod biodiversity

“…Galls are primarily induced by insects (Gagné, 1994; Espírito‐Santo & Fernandes, 2007) but also by nematodes (Giblin‐Davis et al ., 2004; Maruyama et al ., 2012) and they alter the architecture of host plants by providing additional shelter and resources for several organisms, including beetles (Sugiura & Yamazak, 2009), caterpillars (Cooper & Riskie, 2009), hemipterans (Fernandes et al ., 1987), spiders (Wetzel et al ., 2016), springtails (Novais et al ., 2020), and thrips (Lindner et al ., 2018). These structures can increase the diversity of associated organisms, changing for example arthropod community richness and/or composition (Crawford et al ., 2007; Maruyama et al ., 2012; Vieira & Romero, 2013; Novais et al ., 2020).…”