Psephenothrips Reyes, 1994

Dang, Li-Hong, Zhao, Lin-Peng, Li, Yan-Qiao & Qiao, Ge-Xia, 2021, Studies on the genus Psephenothrips Reyes from China (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae), with one new species, ZooKeys 1029, pp. 113-121 : 113

Psephenothrips Reyes

Psephenothrips Reyes, 1994: 478. Type species: Psephenothrips strasseni Reyes.

Diagnosis.

Head as long as broad or longer than broad; postocular setae well developed, shorter or as long as eyes. Antenna eight-segmented, segment III with 0+1 sense cone, IV with 1+2 sense cones. Maxillary stylets long, reaching eyes and close together in the middle of head and maxillary bridge absent. Prothorax usually with five pairs of setae, sometimes am minute; notopleural sutures complete; basantra absent. Mesopresternum boat-shaped or divided into two parts; metathoracic sternopleural sutures present or absent. Fore tarsus without tooth in both sexes. Fore wing parallel-sided, with numerous duplicated cilia. Pelta broadly triangular; abdominal tergites II-VII with two pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae; tergite IX with S1 and S2 setae shorter or as long as tube. Male without a pore plate on abdominal sternite VIII.

Comments.

The species of Psephenothrips are similar to Liothrips , but they are distinguished by the long maxillary stylets that are close together in the middle of the head and abdominal segment VIII without a pore plate in the male. This genus is also closely related to Eurhynchothrips in body shape as well most characters including those above ( Mound 1968). In this study, these two genera could not be separated from each other. However, according to the generic diagnosis ( Mound 1968; Dang et al. 2014), Psephenothrips can be distinguished from Eurhynchothrips only by having no stout maxillary bridge and that is the reason this new species, P. eriobotryae sp.nov., is considered to be a species of Psephenothrips . They both are poorly-defined genera in the Liothrips -lineage and the relationship between them is extremely confused and requires further considerable study.