Phlaeothrips annulipes

Nomenclatural details

Phlaeothrips annulipes Reuter, 1880: 19.
Phloeothrips brevicollis Bagnall, 1911: 62.
Phlaeothrips salicinus Priesner, 1923:103.
Phlaeothrips immanis Bagnall, 1927: 582.
Phlaeothrips crepidipennis Maltbaek, 1929: 376.

Biology and distribution

Described from Artsjo (Prov. Uusima), Finland, without further details (P. annulipes), from Bygdo (near Christiania), Norway from Tilia (P. brevicollis), from Linz, Austria from willows in the Danube floodplains (P. salicinus), from North Schleswig (near Lajt), Denmark in grassland (P. crepidipennis) and from Sihlwald (near Zurich), Switzerland (P. immanis).

Distribution: Phlaeothrips annulipes is widespread in Europe, but was found in higher numbers exclusively in northern countries such as Norway and Sweden. In Germany, this thrips has only been found three times (in Hamburg, Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia). P. annulipes has also been reported from North-East Asia.
The main habitat of Phlaeothrips annulipes are dead branches of freshly fallen birch and alder trees (Betula sp. and Alnus glutinosa), which are lying on the ground. These are ephemeral habitats. Over time, natural decomposition inevitably destroys them. After just one year they already offer significantly poorer conditions. Thus, adults of P. annulipes are forced to seek new habitats. It is possibly due to the difficulty in recognizing twigs of optimal age that these thrips are rarely collected.

References

Priesner H (1930) Die Thysanopteren-Typen O. M. Reuters. Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift (1): 1–10.

Kobro S (2007) Sampling Phlaeothrips annulipes O. M. Reuter (Thysanoptera: Tubulifera) from its habitat, dead birch branches. Acta Phytopathologica et Entomologica Hungarica 42 (2): 353–360.

Type information

Paratype  (P. annulipes): Finnisch Museum of Natural History, Helsinki.

Holotype ♀ (P. brevicollis): Natural History Museum, London.

Holotype ♀ (P. salicinus): Senckenbergmuseum, Frankfurt am Main.

Lectotype ♀ (P. immanis): Natural History Museum, London.

Holotype (P. crepidipennis): Unbekannt.