''Ankothrips yuccae'' is a species of

thrip Thrips (order Thysanoptera) are minute (mostly long or less), slender insects with fringed wings and unique asymmetrical mouthparts. Entomologists have described approximately 7,700 species. They fly only weakly and their feathery wings are ...

in the family

Melanthripidae Melanthripidae is a family of thrips belonging to the order Thysanoptera. Members of the family, covered with gymnosperm pollen, were found in Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), ...

. Its host plant is ''

Yucca whipplei ''Hesperoyucca whipplei'' ( syn. ''Yucca whipplei''), the chaparral yucca, our Lord's candle, Spanish bayonet, Quixote yucca or foothill yucca, is a species of flowering plant closely related to, and formerly usually included in, the genus ''Yucc ...

''.

Description

Both sexes are winged, with light brown to brown

body Body may refer to: In science * Physical body, an object in physics that represents a large amount, has mass or takes up space * Body (biology), the physical material of an organism * Body plan, the physical features shared by a group of anim ...

legs A leg is a weight-bearing and locomotive anatomical structure, usually having a columnar shape. During locomotion, legs function as "extensible struts". The combination of movements at all joints can be modeled as a single, linear element cap ...

and antennae, with antennal segments 3-4 paler and forewings fuscous with its base a little bit paler. Its antennae has nine segments, the ninth longer the eight, sensoria transverse on the third- fourth, the second segment apex prolonged ventro-laterally into serrate lobe. Head with ocellar setae I arising on conical, slightly bifurcate tubercle, the third setae arise within ocellar triangle. It hears with 3 pairs of prominent postocular setae and the

pronotum The prothorax is the foremost of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the first pair of legs. Its principal sclerites (exoskeletal plates) are the pronotum (dorsal), the prosternum (ventral), and the propleuron (lateral) on e ...

posterior margin with 5 pairs of prominent setae.

Mesonotum The mesothorax is the middle of the three segments of the thorax of hexapods, and bears the second pair of legs. Its principal sclerites (exoskeletal plates) are the mesonotum (dorsal), the mesosternum ( ventral), and the mesopleuron (lateral) ...

has

microtrichia Insect morphology is the study and description of the morphology (biology), physical form of insects. The terminology used to describe insects is similar to that used for other arthropods due to their shared evolutionary history. Three physical f ...

Metanotum The metathorax is the posterior of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the third pair of legs. Its principal sclerites ( exoskeletal plates) are the metanotum (dorsal), the metasternum ( ventral), and the metapleuron (late ...

striate medially, with median setae near posterior margin. The 8th

abdominal The abdomen (colloquially called the gut, belly, tummy, midriff, tucky, or stomach) is the front part of the torso between the thorax (chest) and pelvis in humans and in other vertebrates. The area occupied by the abdomen is called the abdominal ...

tergite median setae scarcely 0.3 as long as

tergite A ''tergum'' (Latin for "the back"; : ''terga'', associated adjective tergal) is the Anatomical terms of location#Dorsal and ventral, dorsal ('upper') portion of an arthropod segment other than the head. The Anatomical terms of location#Anterior ...

;

10 with paired

trichobothria Trichobothria (singular trichobothrium) are elongate setae ("hairs") present in arachnids, various orders of insects, and myriapods that function in the detection of airborne vibrations and currents, and electrical charge. In 1883, Friedrich Da ...

well developed. Sixth

sternite The sternum (: sterna) is the ventral portion of a segment of an arthropod thorax or abdomen. In insects, the sterna are usually single, large sclerites, and external. However, they can sometimes be divided in two or more, in which case the su ...

posterior margin with pair of lobes each bearing two setae at base.

Ecology

''Ankothrips yuccae'' breeds on ''Yucca whipplei'' without leaving major harm in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. It has no known vectors.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q10412262 Insects described in 1926 Thrips