Ectoparasitism in Aulacothrips (Thysanoptera: Heterothripidae) revisited: Host diversity on honeydew-producing Hemiptera and description of a new species

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

“…The ectoparasitic life-cycle of these thrips is very dependent on the hemipteran body, and subsequent analysis of the tegument in Ae. reticulatum revealed the injuries produced by thrips mouth parts (Cavalleri et al, 2010). Thrips infestation also promotes significant alteration of the behaviour of the hemipteran hosts, making them feed in lower frequencies and displaying a great variety of self-cleaning behaviours (Cavalleri, 2012).…”

“…A few years later, a second species of Aulacothrips was described from the Brazilian savannah, also parasitic on hemipterans but exhibiting a distinct host and feeding strategy (Cavalleri et al, 2010). In contrast to A. dictyotus, which is a highly specific ectoparasite, A. minor Cavalleri, Kaminski & Mendonça, 2010 has a wide host range, infesting many species of ant-tended treehoppers of the family Membracidae.…”

“…In contrast to A. dictyotus, which is a highly specific ectoparasite, A. minor Cavalleri, Kaminski & Mendonça, 2010 has a wide host range, infesting many species of ant-tended treehoppers of the family Membracidae. Finally, A. amazonicus Cavalleri, Kaminski & Mendonça, 2012 was recently described from the Amazonian rainforest attacking membracids tended by ants, Dolichoderus bispinosus (Olivier) (Dolichoderinae) .…”

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

“…Except for Aulacothrips species, all members within this group are similar in their way of life, and apparently all stages feed on flower tissues and show some degree of host-specificity (Mound & Marullo 1996;Cavalleri et al 2010;Pereyra & Cavalleri 2012). However, the diversity among these flower-living genera is not equally distributed.…”

New records of thrips (Thysanoptera) species in Brazil

“…The species are known to be opportunistic in their way of life, but the majority of thrips species are either phytophagous or fungivorous, while a few are predators or ectoparasites on other arthropods (Mound & Marullo 1996, Cavalleri et al 2010. Some species are important agricultural pests and disease vectors, attacking a wide range of plant crops and ornamentals.…”