Thrips carthami Shumsher

(Figs. 3, 10, 17, 22)

Thrips carthami Shumsher, 1946: 184 –185

Female (macropterous): Body and legs yellow; antennal segment I pale, segment II light brownish; fore wings pale; abdominal tergites II–VII yellow usually with brown markings anteriorly (Fig. 22), segment VIII–X usually brown. Antennae 7-segmented, III & IV with forked sense cone. Head wider than long, with two pairs of ocellar setae; pair III just outside ocellar triangle as in palmi; postocular setae I about as long as ocellar setae III, II & IV minute (Fig. 3). Pronotum wider than long, with two pairs of long posteroangular setae; posterior margin with two pairs of setae. Metanotum with longitudinal sculpture as in flavus; median setae long, arising behind anterior margin, campaniform sensilla present and close together (Fig. 10). Fore wing first vein with three setae on distal half, second vein with row of about 15 setae; clavus with five setae on marginal vein. Abdominal tergum II with three major dark setae on each lateral margin, and an additional small unshaded seta; posteromarginal comb on tergite VIII complete, fine, slender and regular (Fig. 17); tergite X with a complete median longitudinal split. Pleurotergites and sternites without discal setae.

Male: Much paler and smaller than female; antennal segment II pale; comb absent on abdominal tergite VIII posterior margin; only sternites III and IV with pore plate.

Specimens examined. China: Sichuan, 58 females, 6 males, on Rhododendron simsii, 9.vii.2010.

Remarks. This bicoloured species is larger than palmi, but is structurally similar to that species to which it is probably related. This species is now widespread around India, Pakistan, Himachal Pradesh, Bhutan (Bhatti, 1980).