Gynaikothrips ficorum (Marchal, 1908)

cuban laurel thrips

on Ficus

Ficus microcarpa, Canary Islands, la Gomera, 14.ii.2020 © Sébastien Carbonelle

another imago

gall, folded open, with thrips

gall

the leaves are doubled and folded backwards as a sickle. Between the leaf halves numerous thrips in all stages. The galled leaves turn yellow, become hard and ultimately fall off.

host plants

Moraceae, narrowly monophagous

Ficus elastica, benjamina, microcarpa.

synonyms

Haplothrips blesai Plata Negrache, 1973.

notes

Closely related with G. uzeli (Zimmermann, 1900). It has been suggested that G. ficorum is a form of G. uzeli that has been spread by the horticultural trade (Funderburk ao).

predators

Empicoris rubromaculatus; Montandoniola moraguesi.

references

Anagnou–Veroniki, Papaioannou–Souliotis, Karanstasi & Giannopolitis (2008a), Berzosa (2000a), Funderburk, Denmark, Mound, ao (2017a), Hassan (2020a), Mifsud, Falzon, Malumphy ao (2012a), Mound, Morison, Pitkin & Palmer (1976a), Plata Negrache (973a), Thrips of the British Isles (2020).