Aoratothrips Priesner

(Figs. 21–26)

This genus is recorded here from China for the first time, based on the single female listed below. According to Mound (1970), the genus “may eventually be found to be a synonym of Euhydatothrips ” from Africa. Currently it is distinguished by the longer mouth cone, more strongly elevated ocellar region, and Y-shaped metafurca. Only one species, tenuis Priesner, is recognized in Aoratothrips . This remains based on a female from Bogor, Java, although in the Australian National Insect Collection, Canberra, there is one female from Thailand that is closely similar in structure and colour. In that collection there is also a slide with two damaged females and a male that were collected in northern Australia (Mound et al. 2012), but these have the fourth antennal segment largely pale instead of extensively black as in the tenuis holotype and the specimen from Thailand. There is also a further female collected in Sarawak in 2017 that is closely similar in structure but with antennal segment IV strongly shaded in the apical half, but not as black as in the holotype and female from Thailand. The specimen from China listed appears to be similar to the specimens recorded from Australia, but further collections are needed in order to assess the variation within and between populations, as it remains unclear if the available specimens represent colour variants of tenuis or new species. The following description is based on the specimen from Yunnan.

Macropterous female. Body and legs yellowish white, antennal segments I–IV white, V–VI brown; VII pale brown, VIII white (Fig. 21); head as long as wide, ocellar region slightly elevated (Fig. 24); fore wing uniformly pale. Antennae 8-segmented, III and IV with elongate forked sense cone, VIII much longer than VII. Pronotum reticulate, with prominent setae (Fig. 22). Metanotum with distinct sculptured triangle, with one pair of setae arising near anterior margin (Fig. 26). Abdominal tergites with median setae minute (Fig. 23); tergite VIII with long slender comb interrupted medially (Fig. 25); X with no dorsal split.

Specimen studied. China, Yunnan, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanic Garden, one female from Acacia pennata [ Leguminosae], in collection of Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming.