Thysanoptera caught by emergence trapping from oak trees at Hamilton High Parks, South Lanarkshire, including Hoplothrips semicaecus (Uzel) new to Scotland

Abstract

A survey of the saproxylic invertebrate fauna of the Cadzow oaks parkland, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, part of the Hamilton High Parks Site of Special Scientific Interest, was undertaken between April 2017 and April 2018, with additional prior test trapping having started in August 2016. Several different search methodologies were utilised, including Owen emergence traps, flight interception traps, hollow tree traps, and rot hole traps. Large numbers of a non-target group of insects - thrips (Order Thysanoptera) - were noted in some of the traps from the first batch to be examined and separated out for analysis. A total of 370 individuals from eight species was identified, with 85.1% of these thrips being collected by three Owen emergence traps, a novel methodology for determining the presence, or abundance, of dispersing Thysanoptera. The majority (92.4%) of the thrips represented two fungal-feeding phlaeothripid species, Hoplothrips pedicularius and H. semicaecus. This is the first report of H. semicaecus from Scotland.