Aeolothrips balati Pelikan

Minaei, Kambiz, 2013, The genus Aeolothrips in Iran (Thysanoptera: Aeolothripidae) with one new species, Zootaxa 3630 (3), pp. 594-600 : 595

Aeolothrips balati Pelikan

Aeolothrips balati was described from Bulgaria (Pelikan, 1958) and subsequently recorded from Turkey and Spain (zur Strassen 2003). Fallahzadeh et al. (2011) reported this species from Iran based on specimens identified by J. S. Bhatti as " Coleothrips near balati " (personal communication, Jalil Alavi with J. S. Bhatti, 2011) and thus this record is not accepted here. Both sexes of this thrips are distinguished from other species of Aeolothrips in Iran by the colour of antennal segment III which is yellow in the basal half and suddenly dark brown in the distal part (zur Strassen 2003). In two available males listed below the colour pattern of the antennae agrees with that of balati , but the yellow part of antennal segment III is restricted to the basal fourth ( Fig. 9 ). Morever, all femora are clearly yellow in contrast to the key of zur Strassen for the male of balati “Schenkel der Mittel- und Hinterbein dunkelbraun” (femora of middle and hind legs dark). So, in spite of the similarity in structure of these two males to the description of males of balati (tergal tubercles, and claspers and stout setae on tergite IX absent), it is not possible to recognize the two males at species level. Further specimens of both sexes are needed to decide if the Iranian specimens represent a southern form of balati or a new species.

Material studied. IRAN, Isfahan Province, Isfahan, 2 males, from flowers of Suaeda sp. (Chenopodiceae), 24.vii.2012 (F. Haftbaradaran).

Figures

FIGURES 7 – 9. Aeolothrips zurstrasseni sp. n. (7) Antennal segments III – IX (female); (8) Antenna (male). Aeolothrips sp. nr balati (9) Antenna (male).