Aeolothrips sobrinus, zur Strassen, 1979

Rasool, Iftekhar, Alattal, Yehya Zaki & Aldhafer, Hathal M., 2023, Faunistic inventory, identification keys and zoogeographical analysis of the Thysanoptera-Terebrantia of Saudi Arabia, including two new species, Zootaxa 5306 (2), pp. 151-200 : 157-158

Aeolothrips sobrinus zur Strassen

Aeolothrips sobrinus zur Strassen, 1979: 93.

This species is endemic to Saudi Arabia, breeding in the flowers of Asteraceae . It is very close to A. mongolicus in general appearance, but can be distinguished by the characters given above under A. mongolicus .

Redescription. Body light to dark brown; antennal segment II pale at apex, III yellow, IV yellow at base brown apically, rest of antenna brown; head, thorax, abdomen, legs brown to dark brown; fore wing with two longitudinal dark bands, longer than wide, apical vein pale. Head with 7–8 pairs of ocellar setae with two pairs arising inside ocellar triangle; frontoclypeus with about 10 pairs of small setae and one pair of distinctive mid-lateral setae beside eyes. Antennal segments III–IV with sensorium extending beyond middle of the segment; segment V longer than VI–IX together. Pronotum with 50–60 discal setae; metanotum with equiangular reticulation medially, longitudinal lines laterally, without internal markings. Abdominal tergites II–VII smooth, with two pairs of CPS; sternites with transverse lines, III–VII with four pairs of postero marginal setae, outer two pairs arising sub marginally and shorter than median setae; two pairs of very fine accessory setae, arising between S1 and S2 setae on sternite VII; distance between S1 setae more than distance between S1 and S2 setae.

Measurements (In microns). Female macroptera: body length 1972; head length 180, width 225; pronotum length 160, width 255; tergite IX S1 setae 135; Mt 25; ovipositor length 424. Fore wing length 980. Antennal segments I–35, II–65, III–105, IV–85, V–70, VI–IX–60;

Material studied. Al Baha. Wadi Turabah , three females from Ricinus communis , five females from Nicotiana glauca flowers, eight females from Verbesina encelioides , 6.iv.2019, ( BT) ; Baljurashi , three females from Achyranthes aspera , 22. ix.2020, ( BT) ; Al Baha city, 11 females from flowers of Echinops , 23.ix.2020, ( BT) .