Odontothrips elbaensis Priesner, 1933

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 : 182-183

Odontothrips elbaensis Priesner

Odontothrips elbaensis Priesner, 1933

Described from Egypt based on two females only, this species has also been recorded from Sudan and Yemen (zur Strassen 1990) and is here new to Saudi Arabia. It is close to O. phlomidinus described from Iran but can be seperated by the transverse striation on pronotum and abdominal tergites II–VIII medially; fore wings with transverse light band at middle in addition to apical band, in contrast to smooth pronotum and abdominal tergites, and fore wings without band at middle in O. phlomidinus (Pikin 1972) . Both sexes of the species have been collected from twigs of Farsetia aegyptia . As the male was not known prior to this study, the following descriptive notes are provided.

Male macroptera . Body smaller and slenderer than female; colour similar to female; tergite IX with a pair of straight stout processes and sternites without pore plates. Endothecal spines absent on canaliculus.

Material studied. Riyadh. Al-Deri’yya, Sudus , one female from Zygophyllum coccineum , 38 females, 39 males from Farsetia aegyptia [ Brassicaceae ], 13.ii.2019, ( BT); Al Oyayna, one female from Medicago sativa , 14.iii.2019, ( BT), Aldryhim, Y. N. & Rasool, I .