Hoplandrothrips flavipes Bagnall

Okajima, Shûji & Masumoto, Masami, 2024, The genus Hoplandrothrips and its relatives (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) from Southeast Asia and Taiwan, Zootaxa 5489 (1), pp. 22-91 : 44

Hoplandrothrips flavipes Bagnall

Hoplandrothrips flavipes Bagnall, 1923 , 628.

H. flavipes was originally described from Kenya and has six junior synonyms. It is widely distributed mainly in the tropics and subtropics around the world, extending to the temperate region in Japan. Sometimes, it makes large colonies on dead leafy branches in Southeast Asia and Japan. In spite of the wide distribution of this species, the morphological characteristics are relatively stable, and there is no significant difference depending on the locality. However, colouration of the median abdominal segments is often variable. In most individuals from Southeast Asia to Japan, abdominal segment III is usually yellowish, paler than segment II, and segments IV to VII are gradually darkened posteriorly in the female, but this is rather indistinct in the male, and often these segments are uniformly brown in both sexes. Moreover, according to Ananthakrishnan (1964), this species from India (= Phlaeothrips indicus Ramakrishna & Margabandhu ) has the metathorax and abdominal segment I yellowish at least in females. It is unusual in having four stout sense cones on antennal segment III, but this character state is shared with four congeners from Japan ( Okajima 2006) and H. formosae newly described below from Taiwan. These sense cones are placed in an almost usual position for Phlaeothripinae , two sense cones on each inner and outer apex of the segment, but the outer one frequently situated ventrally. However, although these six species share the same sense cone formula on antennal segment III, they are not necessarily closely related to each other. Some large sized species, which are named temporarily ryukyuensis -group here, such as formosae , jennyae , quinqueconus and ryukyuensis , are undoubtedly not so closely related to this species. Moreover, even in the flavipes -group, H. aseanae described above and H. brunneicinctus from Australia are probably closely related to flavipes , though they have three sense cones on that antennal segment. Similarly, H. asianus described above and H. ochraceus from Japan appear to be included in the flavipes -group and also have three sense cones on segment III, despite the maxillary stylets scarcely longer and closer together. Finally, H. coloratus may also be included in this group, although it has only two sense cones on antennal segment III. These species share the following character states: head a little longer than wide, almost entirely sculptured with polygonal reticulation, but reticles often very weak; sub-basal cheek setae rather small; antennal segment VIII distinctly constricted basally, pedicellate; maxillary stylets close together medially, but narrowly apart, retracted to postocular setae, usually not reaching eyes; fore tarsal tooth absent or weakly developed in female; pelta hat-shaped with slender lateral wings; abdominal sternite VIII with no pore plate in male. Considering these relationships, and the character state of sense cones on antennal segment III, there is a possibility that this species is not as closely related to Ecacanthothrips species as considered previously. Okajima (2006) redescribed and illustrated this species based on a long series of females and males collected mainly from both subtropical and temperate regions of Japan.

Specimens examined (detailed data are omitted). Numerous females and males from the following localities: Indonesia (Bali, Lombok and Sulawesi); Peninsular Malaysia; Singapore; Borneo (Kalimantan and Sabah); Thailand; Taiwan; Japan (Honshu, Ogasawara and Ryukyu, data described in Okajima, 2006).