extant species, plant pests
Sericothrips staphylinus
Biology and distribution
Described from England from Ulex europaea.
Distribution: England and France. Apparently host-specific to the leaves of Ulex, especially Ulex europaeus (Fabaceae). Former reports from other European countries need to be verified!
This species has been used as a biological control agent against its weedy host plant (Ulex) in several countries, including Australia (South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania), New Zealand and Hawaii (Ireson et al., 2008).
References
Haliday AH (1836) An epitome of the British genera in the Order Thysanoptera with indications of a few of the species. Entomological Magazine 3: 439–451.
zur Strassen R (1980) Die west-paläarktischen Fransenflügler-Arten von Sericothrips Haliday, 1836, Hydatothrips Karny, 1913, und Neohydatothrips John, 1929 (Thysanoptera, Thripidae). Polskie Pismo entomologiczne 50: 195–213.
Ireson JE, Holloway RJ & Chatterton WS (2008) Phenology and development of the gorse thrips, Sericothrips staphylinus Haliday (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), a biological control agent for gorse, Ulex europaeus L. (Fabaceae), in Tasmania. Biological Control 45: 64–71.
Lima EFB & Mound LA (2016) Systematic relationships of the Thripidae subfamily Sericothripinae (Insecta: Thysanoptera) Zoologischer Anzeiger 263: 24–32.
Mound LA, Nielsen M & Hastings A (2017). Thysanoptera Aotearoa – Thrips of New Zealand. Lucidcentral.org, Identic Pty Ltd, Queensland, Australia. LINK
Type information
Lectotype: unknown depository .