Species of <i>Heterothrips</i> Hood (Terebrantia: Heterothripidae) from Central America

Heterothripidae is a family with three genera: Lenkothrips De Santis & Sureda, Scutothrips Stannard, and Heterothrips Hood. Lenkothrips contains a single species from South America, Scutothrips contains four species, and Heterothrips has more than 60 species. Heterothrips has not been adequately defined. Some species in this genus are associated with host plants of economic importance. In this paper, three new species are described, two of them associated with flowers in fruit tree crops of the family Myrtaceae and the other with a plant in the family Malpighiaceae used as an ornamental. The new species can be distinguished as follows: Heterothrips lopezae n. sp. has remarkably different sculpturing on the pronotum compared with H. sericatus Hood and H. mimosae Mound & Marullo and antennal segments III-IV are pale in colour. Heterothrips lankesteriensis n. sp. is distinguished by the presence of setose tubercles behind the eyes; this character is present only in one other species, H. pubescens Hood, which is clearly distinguished by the presence of pronotal sculpture and the sculpturing of the metanotum. Heterothrips hondurensis n. sp. has unique antennal morphology and is easily recognized from H. lyoniae Hood by the pedicel with divergent sides and antennal segment IV truncated not rounded as in H. lyoniae. A key to the Central American species of Heterothrips is provided.Key words: Heterothripidae, Myrtaceae, Malpighiaceae, fruit crops, ornamentals.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/ceiba.v50i1.195