Megathrips lativentris

Nomenclatural details

Phloeothrips lativentris Heeger, 1852: 479.
Phloeothrips longispina Reuter, 1879: 214.
Phloeothrips tibialis Reuter, 1879: 214.
Megathrips piccioli Targioni-Tozzetti, 1881: 124.
Megalothrips niger Schmutz, 1909: 346.
Bacillothrips padewiethi Karny, 1919: 114.

Biology and distribution

Described from Dornbach near Vienna, Austria (P. lativentris), Nagu and Helsinki, Finland (P. longispina and P. tibialis), Florence, Italy (M. piccioli), Băile Herculane, Romania (M. niger) and Croatia (B. padewiethi).

Distribution: Widespread in Europe and Asia; also reported from North America.
Megathrips lativentris is breeding on dead leaves, twigs and branches, and feeding on the spores of unidentified fungi in the leaf-litter of Betula [Betulaceae] and Quercus [Fagaceae].

References

Heeger E (1852) Beiträge zur Insecten-Fauna Osterrreichs. Sitzungsberichte der mathematisch-naturwissenschaftlichen kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Wien 9 (3): 473–490.

Reuter OM (1879) Diagnoser ofver nya Thysanoptera fran Finland. Översigt af Finska Veenskaps-societetens Förhandlinger21 (1878–1879): 207–223.

Targioni-Tozzetti A (1881). Relazione intorno ai lavori della R. Stazione di Entomologia Agraria di Firenze per gli anni 1877–78. Annali di Agricoltura 34: 134–161.

Schmutz K (1909) Zur Kenntnis neuer Thysanopterengenera. Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien 23: 342–347.

Karny H (1919): Synopsis der Megathripidae (Thysanoptera). Zeitschrift für Wissenschaftliche Insektenbiologie 1 (15): 113–118.

Kenward HK (1979) Megathrips lativentris (Heeger) (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) from Bronze Age deposits at Thorne Moor, Yorkshire. Entomologist’s Monthly Magazine 114: 25–26.

Mirab-balou M, Tong X, Feng J & Chen X (2011) Thrips (Thysanoptera) of China. Check List 7: 720–744.

Mound LA, Morison GD, Pitkin BR & Palmer JM (1976) Thysanoptera. Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects 1 (11): 1–79.

Mound LA & Palmer JM (1983) The generic and tribal classification of spore-feeding Thysanoptera (Phlaeothripidae: Idolothripinae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 46: 1–174.

Stannard LJ (1968) The thrips, or Thysanoptera, of Illinois. Bulletin of the Illinois Natural History Survey 29: 213–552.

Type information

Holotype ♀ (M. niger): Naturhistorisches Museum Wien.

Syntype ♀ (B. padewiethi): Senckenbergmuseum Frankfurt am Main.