Parthenothrips Uzel, 1895

Lima, Élison Fabrício Bezerra, O’Donnell, Cheryle Ann, Miyasato, Elisa Aiko & Br, Pi., 2020, The Panchaetothripinae (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) of Brazil, with one new Caliothrips species, Zootaxa 4820 (2), pp. 201-230 : 218

Parthenothrips Uzel

Although two species are currently listed in this genus (ThripsWiki 2020), one of these is discussed below and removed from the Panchaetothripinae . The only species retained in this genus is unique in the form of the broad reticulate fore wing that bears curious fan-shaped major setae. The antennae are 7-segmented, with a simple sense cone on segments III and IV.

The original description and image of the female of P. kobusi Deventer (1906) is of a thrips that, apart from having 7-segmented antennae, is clearly not related to Parthenothrips . The head and pronotum are longer than wide, and Deventer did not mention any reticulate sculpture. The fore wing first vein has the setal row regularly spaced on the basal third but with the setae scattered on the distal two-thirds, whereas the setal row is complete on the second vein. Wilson (1975) considered the genus a nomen dubium and possibly a member of the Taeniothrips genus-group. However, the original illustration indicates that P. kobusi has long ocellar setae anterior to the ocellar triangle, also a long postocular setal pair. These character states seem most similar to those of the genus Bolacothrips in the Thrips genus-group ( Masumoto & Okajima 2013, Lima et al. 2018). The species of this genus are common on Poaceae in Southeast Asia, and P. kobusi was collected from sugar cane. This species is here re-classified as Bolacothrips kobusi ( Deventer, 1906) comb. n. but its relationship to other members of the genus remains unknown.