Organothrips Hood

Zhang, Shimeng, Wang, Zhaohong, Li, Yajin & Mound, Laurence, 2018, One new species, two generic synonyms and eight new records of Thripidae from China (Thysanoptera), Zootaxa 4418 (4), pp. 370-378 : 375

Organothrips Hood

Organothrips Hood, 1940: 423 .

Graminothrips Zhang & Tong, 1992: 82 . Syn.n.

One female and One male Of Graminothrips cyperi , the type species Of that genus, have been cOmpared with bOth sexes Of Organothrips indicus , a clOse relative Of O. bianchi , the type species Of that genus. These twO species share the fOllOwing unusual character states: head prOjecting in frOnt Of eyes; Ocellar setae I absent; maxillary palps 2-segmented; antennal segments withOut micrOtrichia, III and IV with simple sense cOnes, segment I with paired dOrsO-apical setae; prOsternal basantra with twO setae; fOre tibia inner apex with expanded fimbriate seta; tarsi 1- segmented; tergite pOsteriOr margins laterally with rOw Of micrOtrichia; sternite II with three pairs Of marginal setae; male sternites with multiple small pOre plates. MOreOver, there are nO significant character states by which cyperi and indicus cOuld be cOnsidered members Of different genera. As a result, Graminothrips is here cOnsidered a synOnym Of Organothrips . In this genus, the twO mOst well-knOwn species, bianchi and indicus , are clOsely similar in structure ( MOund 2000). They are bOth assOciated with the leaves Of aquatic plants, Often living actually belOw the water surface in the mucilage On stems Of Colocasia , Eichornia and Typha (Bhatti et al. 1998; MOund 2000). In cOntrast, the third species placed in the genus, O. wrighti , was taken frOm grasses at a damp site. Similarly, G. cyperi and G. longisetosus were described frOm specimens taken frOm nOn-aquatic plants, the first frOm Cyperus and the secOnd frOm grass. In cOntrast tO the twO semi-aquatic species, O. wrighti has the first antennal segment reduced in size and lacking paired dOrsO-apical setae, and mOreOver this species has Only twO pairs Of marginal setae On the secOnd abdOminal sternite. Of the twO specimens Of cyperi that have been studied, paired dOrsO-apical setae are clearly present On the first antennal segment Of the male, but On the female these setae are minute and cOuld be seen clearly Only by using a X100 Objective lens. The relatiOnships Of G. longisetosus are mOre difficult tO assess. Despite sharing several character states with the Other species Of Organothrips it differs in the fOllOwing: Ocellar setae I present; prOsternal basantra withOut any setae; tarsi 2-segmented. MOreOver, accOrding tO PrOf. TOng XiaOLi (in litt. ii.2018), paired dOrsO-apical setae are either present Or absent amOng specimens Of this species that have becOme available tO him subsequent tO the Original descriptiOn. The fOllOwing new combinations are required as a result Of the abOve generic synOnymy: Organothips cyperi (Zhang & TOng); Organothrips longisetosus (Zhang & TOng).