Aeolothrips

comment by Dom Collins - DWC: Female fasciatus cannot be satisfactorily distinguished from female intermedius - both are common Palearctic species- and there are other very similar species. Looking more closely at zur Strassen's text, he is aware that he is only dealing with female material and his attribution to "pr. fasciatus" (near?) is very equivocal. Zur Strassen liked to separate "his species" on the slightest of grounds, often morphometric, but his gauging of the St Helena material against his concept of fasciatus in these terms left even him not convinced. It may or may not be relevant, depending on the source of introduction, that only intermedius is known from Britain (a noticeable omission in the distribution of fasciatus). Not one of the St Helena attributions, therefore, can be taken beyond genus. [Species of the fasciatus -intermedius group have two dark bands on each forewing, with no darkening of the rim of the wing outside of these dark bands]