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Intrapopulation Variation in an Australian Population of the North American Thrips, Bagnalliella yuccae (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae), a New Record from Australia

2010; Florida Entomological Society; Volume: 93; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1653/024.093.0304

1938-5102

Desley J. Tree,

Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy

The genus Bagnalliella Karny is an endemic North American genus of Phlaeothripidae with 7 species associated with the New World plant genus Yucca; 2 Old World species currently placed in the genus are probably not congeneric. The number of sensoria on antennal segments III and IV has been used to distinguish the Bagnalliella species on Yucca, but an invasive population of Bagnalliella yuccae (Hinds) is reported here from Australia, at Brisbane, Queensland, in which the number of sensoria varied between individuals and even between left and right antennae of single individuals. These observations cast considerable doubt on the validity of some of the North American species of Bagnalliella. The Australian population was damaging young leaves of Yucca elephantipes, and indicates the ease with which thrips can be distributed by the horticultural trade.