Idiothrips bellus Faure

Minaei, Kambiz, 2013, The Phlaeothrips - lineage of fungus feeding thrips (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) in Iran with a new species of Hindsiothrips, Zootaxa 3599 (3), pp. 279-290 : 282-284

Idiothrips bellus Faure

Idiothrips ficus Bhatti syn. n.

Bhatti (1967) stated that I. ficus was distinguished from I. bellus "in having more slender antennal segs. 3 and 4" ( Table 2 ). However, the specimens listed below from Iran show a considerable range in the length/width ratios of antennal segments III and IV. For instance, in population 2 ( Table 4 ) this ratio ranges 1.90-2.68 for segment III and 1.91-2.63 for segment IV. Moreover there is no significant difference in both characters among 5 populations ( Table 4 ).

Problems with measurements in thrips study including difficulty of measuring parts of thrips body, inaccuracy due to physical characteristics of light, human error and inaccurate calibration have been discussed elsewhere ( Minaei & Mound 2010). Morover small samples are unlikely to show the full range of variation of any species.

The length of antennal segment III of specimens examined by Ananthakrishnan (1964) is longer than the holotype of I. bellus , even a little longer than specimens examined by Bhatti (1967), but Ananthakrishnan did not put a new name on his material, in contrast to Bhatti. Judging from recent collections in Fars Province and the data by Kheyrandish Koshkoei (2000), the distribution of this species seems restricted to southern Iran where it lives on various trees probably feeding on fungi.

Diagnosis. Female aptera, brown, head darker. Antennal segment III pale, V pale, yellow or yellow-brownish, distal part of tibiae pale, pelta brown with whitish spot in middle. Body sculptured, short and broad; head about as long as broad; postocular setae not developed; cheeks with warts ( Fig. 10 ). Antenna 7-segmented ( Fig. 4 ), segment III with no sensorium but with a few setae that are sometimes stout, IV with 1 sensorium on ventral surface ( Fig. 5 ), VII non-pedicellate, broad at base, VI longer than VII ( Fig. 4 ). Head as long as broad ( Fig. 10 ), mouthcone finely pointed, extended to prosternum. Maxillary stylets close to each other and retracted to eyes, maxillary bridge absent. Fore tarsal tooth usually absent, rarely a minute tooth is present ( Fig. 17 ). Pronotal setae reduced, with apices expanded, one pair of posteroangular setae larger and funnel-shaped at apex; notopleural sutures incomplete; basantral plates absent. Metanotum reduced; metathoracic sternopleural sutures present. Pelta bell shaped (Fig. 23); tube short, about as long as head. Tergites without sigmoid setae; III–VIII with one pair of fanshaped setae laterally (Fig. 27); S1 and S2 setae on tergite IX almost the same length and truncate at apex (Fig. 27).

Measurements (one female in microns). Body length 1481. Head, length 173; maximum width 191. Pronotum, length 125; median width 270; epim, 23. Pelta length 41, maximum width 257, tergite III, major marginal setae 35. Tergite IX setae S1 34, S2 34. Tube length 150, basal width 58. Antennal segments III–VII length 49, 51, 50, 62, 43.

Male aptera, smaller and paler than female, about 1/2 distal part of tibiae pale; lateral parts and second half of metathorax pale, pelta almost pale; fore tarsal tooth developed ( Fig. 18 ); maxillary stylets not retracted to eyes and closer to each other ( Fig. 12 ). Mouth cone rounded, not extended to prosternum.

Measurements (one male in microns). Body length 1096. Head, length 152; maximum width 153. Pronotum, length 117; median width 211; epim, 17.Tergite III, major marginal setae 26. Tergite IX setae S1 29, S2 26. Tube length 81, basal width 42. Antennal segments III–VII length 45, 50, 52, 60, 46.

Material studied. Iran, Fars Province, Badjgah, 16 females, 2 males, from Morus albus , 19.viii. 2008 (Moslem Behmanesh); same locality and plant, 1 female, 1 male, 24. ix. 2011 (KM565); same locality and plant, 6 females, 5 males, 28. ix. 2011 (KM572); same locality and plant, 8. v. 2012 (KM782); same locality and plant, 11. v. 2012 (KM794); same locality and plant, 18 females, 21. v. 2012 (KM810); same locality and plant, 2 females, 25. v. 2012 (KM819) (unmacerated); same locality, 2 females, 1 male from Fraxinus sp., 3. x. 2011 (KM, without code); Shiraz, 1 female from Tamarix sp., 21. iv. 2012 (KM753); same locality and plant, 12 females, 26. iv. 2012 (KM757); Dasht-e Mouk (Meymand), 8 females from Pistacia atlantica , 10. iv. 2012 (KM786); Darengoon, 9 females from Pomegranate, 18. v. 2012 (KM800); Shiraz, 1 female from Prunus armeniaca , 24. v. 2012 (KM815); Shiraz, 3 females from Ulmus campestris , 13.vii.2012 (KM872).

Idolothripinae Phlaeothripinae Haplothripini Liothrips lineage Phlaeothrips lineage

Allothrips Hood Bagnalliella Karny Ataliothrips Bhatti Aleurodothrips Franklin Compsothrips Reuter Dolicholepta Priesner Cephalothrips Uzel Hoplandrothrips Hood Megathrips Targioni-Tozzetti Haplothrips Amyot & Serville Liophloeothrips Priesner Hoplothrips Amyot & Serville Pseudocryptothrips Priesner Neoheegeria Schmutz Liothrips Uzel Idiothrips Faure

Plicothrips Bhatti Phlaeothrips Haliday Stictothrips Hood

Population Collecting data 1 Badjgah, 19.viii.2008 on Morus albus (Moslem Behmanesh) 2 Shiraz, 26.iv.2012 on Tamarix sp. (KM 757)

3 Badjgah, 8.v.2012 on Morus albus (KM 782)

4 Mymand, 10.v.2012 on Pistachio mutica (KM 786) 5 Darengoon, 18.v.2012 on Punica granatum (KM 800) a: means within same column and with a common superscript not differ at p <0.05 N: number of specimens

Figures

FIGURES 8 – 12. Head and / or pronotum (8) Hindsiothrips sisakhti; (9) Hoplandrothrips bidens; (10) Idiothrips bellus; (11) Hoplothrips sp.; (12) Idiothrips (male).

FIGURES 1 – 7. Antennae (1) Aleurodothrips fasciapennis; (2) Hindsiothrips bonessi; (3) Hindsiothrips sisakhti; (4) Idiothrips bellus; (5) Idiothrips (segments I – IV) (6) Hoplandrothrips bidens (segments III – IV); (7) Stictothrips fimbriata.

FIGURES 16 – 18. Forelegs (16) Hindsiothrips sisakhti; (17) Idiothrips bellus; (18) Idiothrips bellus (male).

Tables

TABLE 2. Original measurements of L / W III and L / W IV of Idiothrips species.

Species	L/W III	L./W IV	Reference
bellus	1.78	1.66	Faure (1933)
bellus	2.31	1.86	Ananthakrishnan (1964)
ficus	2.3	2.3	Bhatti (1967)
maghrebinus	1.92	1.68	zur Strassen (1968)