Anaphothrips graminum Priesner, 1935

Rasool, Iftekhar, Abdel-Dayem, Mahmoud S., Alattal, Yehya Zaki & Aldhafer, Hathal M., 2021, The Anaphothrips genus-group of Thripidae (Thysanoptera) from Saudi Arabia with two new species of Eremiothrips, Journal of Natural History 55 (25 - 26), pp. 1599-1617 : 1601-1604

Anaphothrips graminum Priesner

( Figures 7, 9, 11, 13–20 )

Anaphothrips graminum Priesner, 1935, p. 313

This Mediterranean species was described from Cyprus and is also found in the Middle East, associated with species of Poaceae . Wing polymorphism occurs in both sexes ( Minaei 2018), but the number of sternal pore plates in males remained unclear. zur Strassen (2003) recorded pore plates on sternites III–VII, and Minaei (2018) on sternites III–VIII in micropterae. In this study, both macropterous and microptererous males have been collected, together and at different sites, confirming that pore plates are on sternites III–VII in macropterae ( Figure 16 ) but on sternites III–VIII in micropterae ( Figure 15 ). Comb on abdominal tergite VIII longer and slenderer in macroptera male ( Figure 14 ) than microptera ( Figure 13 ). Moreover, the colour of abdominal segments IX–X is yellow in macropterae of both sexes and in micropterous males but brown in micropterous females ( Figures 17–20 ). Similar in structure to An. sudanensis , these species are easily distinguished by the striking difference in body colour.

Material examined

Except where otherwise indicated, all macropterae collected by I. Rasool and deposited in KSMA. Saudi Arabia. Al Baha, Al Makhwa, Shada Al Ala, 20 females, 2 males, 3 male micropterae and three larvae from Dactyloctenium aegyptium , 4 females from Cenchrus sp. , 26 September 2020; Baljurashi, Jarab-Baljurashi Rd., 6 females, 1 male, 1 male microptera from Cynodon dactylon , 22 September 2020; Al Baha, Bani Kabir, 1 female from Cynodon dactylon , 22 September 2020; Aqiq, Wadi Liyan, 2 females, 1 male from Pennisetum sp. , 23 September 2020; Al Makhwa, Thee ain Village, 1 female from Cenchrus sp. , 25 September 2020; Al Baha, Qilwah, Ramziyah, 3 females, 1 male from Cenchrus pennisetiformis , 25 September 2020; Ramziyah, W. Aleep, 1 female, 1 male microptera from Cenchrus sp. , 25 September 2020; Qilwah, Qilwah Ramziyah Rd., one female, 25 September 2020. Riyadh. Al Kharj, Dhibia, Al Subaie Farm, 1 female microptera swept from Cynodon dactylon , 24 April 2018; Yamamah, Taghlubiah, 1 microptera female swept from Poaceae , 24 April 2018 (Aldhafer et al.).

Figures

Figures 7–16. Anaphothrips graminum Priesner: (7) head and pronotum, (9) pterothorax, (11) antenna. Tergites VIII–X: (13) micropterous male, (14) macropterous male. Sternites III–VIII: (15) micropterous male, (16) macropterous male. An. sudanensis Trybom: (8) head and pronotum, (10) pterothorax, (12) antenna.

Figures 17–21. Anaphothrips graminum Priesner: micropterous (17) female, (18) male; macropterous (19) male, (20) female. (21) An. sudanensis Trybom.