U. S. D. A., B. E. Bui. 99, Part II. T. C. & S. P. I. I., December 14, 1912. 
PAPERS ON INSECTS INJURIOUS TO CITRUS AND OTHER SUBTROPICAL 
FRUITS. 
THE RED-BANDED THRIPS. 
(Heliothrips rubrocinctus Giard . ) 
By H. M. Russell, 
Entomological Assistant. 
INTRODUCTION. 
For a period of about twelve years the red-banded thrips (Helio- 
thrips rubrocinctus Giard) (PL V) has ranked as an important insect 
enemy of the cacao in the West Indies, where it is known as the " cacao 
thrips." ° Recently it has obtained a foothold in Florida, where at the 
present time it occurs at several widely separated localities adjacent 
to the East Coast, attacking principally the mango and avocado. 
The list of food plants of this insect embraces a number of different 
species, and as the cacao, from which its tropical name, the cacao 
thrips, is derived, is not at present grown to any extent in the United 
States, the writer has called it the red-banded thrips, one of the most 
noticeable characteristics of the species being the bright-red cross- 
band which in all stages decorates the middle of the body. 
The writer, when stationed at Miami, Fla., during 1909, made a few 
observations on this species, and it has seemed best to publish them 
in this preliminary account, in order that growers may be prepared 
to combat this new enemy, which has already caused great damage 
in certain islands of the West Indies, and which will, if neglected, 
undoubtedly prove a serious pest in this country. It is hoped that 
this paper may serve also to keep the growers of California on their 
guard, since the introduction of this thrips might result injuriously to 
the culture of the guava and avocado in that State. 
HISTORY. 
This thrips was first described as PJiysophus rubrocincta by August 
Giard 36 , in 1901, from specimens received from Guadeloupe, French 
a Mr. Charles S. Banks in 1904, in Bui. No. 1, Entomological Division of the Bureau of Government 
Laboratories of the Philippines, page 30 and figs. 32 and 33, records a black thrips as injuring cacao. 
This thrips, however, as shown by his figure, belongs to the suborder Tubulifera and resembles in its 
injury Mesothrips ficorum Marchal Craw., which causes injury to various species of Ficus in Key West, 
Cuba, and Porto Rico. Where the leaves of these plants are attacked by this insect they curl up and 
the insect hides within in great numbers. 
b See Bibliographv, p. 28. 
17 
