Thrips (the term is both singular and plural) are tiny (usually less than 1 mm) Insects related to Lice and True Bugs. They have wings, but are poor flyers, and feed by sucking fluids from plant or animal hosts. Thrips do not undergo metamorphosis, the young are essentially smaller, non-reproducing versions of the adults. Due to their small size and ubiquitous nature, it is probable that Thrips are of the larger Insect groups, though they are relatively understudied, with little work carried out on Thrips that do not have agricultural significance.
In a paper published in the journal Zootaxa on 6 June 2013, Arturo Goldarenza of the Laboratorio de Entomología at the Instituto Vasco de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario and Francisco Infante of the Departamento de Entomología, at El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, describe a new species of Thrips from Chiapas State in Mexico.
The new species is named Guerothrips moundi, where 'Guerothrips' means Clear-Thrips and 'moundi' honours Laurence Mound of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CISERO), an distinguished entomologist specializing in the field of Thrips. Guerothrips moundi is a 1.3 mm transparent Thrips found living on Sleepy Morning (Waltheria indica) flowers near a mango orchard in Tapachula, Chiapas State, close to the border with Guatemala.
Guerothrips moundi. Goldarenza & Infante (2013).
A flower of Waltheria indica, the host plant for Guerothrips moundi. Goldarenza & Infante (2013).
Map showing the location (Tres A) where Guerothrips moundi was discovered. Goldarenza & Infante (2013).
See also Three new species of Ant-mimicking Mirid Bugs from central Thailand, A new species of Stick Insect from southern Spain, Two new species of Mole Cricket from Columbia, New species of Leafhopper from Laos, southeast Asia and New species of Mantis from Brazil.
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