Hydatothrips Karny

Wang, Chin-Ling, 2007, Hydatothrips and Neohydatothrips (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) of East and South Asia with three new species from Taiwan, Zootaxa 1575 (1), pp. 47-68 : 48-49

Genus Hydatothrips Karny

Hydatothrips Karny, 1913: 281 . Type species: Hydatothrips adolfifriderici Karny

Corcithrips Bhatti, 1973: 409 . Type species: Corcithrips hartwigi Bhatti. syn. n.

Faureana Bhatti, 1973: 411 . Type species: Zonothrips smutsi Faure. syn. n

Hydatothrips (Pyrothrips) Bhatti, 1973: 424 . Type species: Sericothrips (Hydatothrips) boerhaaviae Seshadri & Ananthakrishnan, 1954 . syn. n.

Sariathrips Bhatti, 1990: 247 . Type species: Sericothrips masrensis Priesner. syn. n.

Zonothrips Priesner, 1926: 260 . Type species: Zonothrips karnyi Priesner. syn. n.

The genus Corcithrips was erected for one new species based on a single female specimen from India. The original description and key to genera of Sericothripini ( Bhatti, 1973) distinguished this genus from other Sericothripini by a difference in the position of setae on abdominal sternites II–VI, and the shape of the pronotal blotch. Corcithrips was described as having the sternal setae arising far ahead of the posterior margin, and the pronotum without a blotch but with a strong transverse apodeme across the middle. Since the position of the median pair of sternal setae is known to be variable in some other genera of Thripidae (such as Megalurothrips , Thrips), and the shape and degree of chitinization of the blotch varies between species, Corcithrips hartwigi Bhatti is here considered a member of Hydatothrips , and the genus placed in synonymy.

The genus Faureana was erected for one South African species, Zonothrips smutsi Faure. This species has the head and most of the pronotum unsculptured, lacks median pores on the abdominal tergites, and has minute setae on tergite IX ( Bhatti, 1973). Considering the variation in form of the sculpture on the head and pronotum among Hydatothrips species , and the lack of median pores in some tergites of different individuals of species such as H. liquidambara Chen , Faureana is here considered a synonym of Hydatothrips .

Pyrothrips was proposed as a subgenus of Hydatothrips , but was later considered as a full genus ( Bhatti, 1990: 247), and included a single species in which all of the tergal setae arose in front of the posterior margin, as in Corcithrips . Similarly, Sariathrips was erected for a single species in which the mesosternal spinula is absent and the forewing cilia are straight. These two genera are here considered as synonyms of Hydatothrips .

Zonothrips was erected for one species, Z. karnyi Priesner from Indonesia. It was considered to be close to Sericothrips Haliday , but with 7-segmented antennae ( Priesner, 1926). There are currently four species placed in this genus, besar Kudo, karnyi Priesner , latisensibilis Kudo, and noro Kudo. The syntypes of Z. karnyi from Museum Buitenzorg, and two females and two males of noro identified by Kudo were examined. This genus is here considered a synonym of Hydatothrips because of the similarity of all the other characteristics. The 7- segmented antennae are considered more likely to be due to variation within Hydatothrips rather than having any evolutional significance. As noted below, reduction to a 7-segmented condition also occurs in the antennae of some species of Neohydatothrips .

Diagnosis: Head broad. Antennae 7- or 8-segmented, segments III and IV each with a forked sensorium, segment VI with a linear sensorium. Pronotum with a blotch; head and pronotum covered with transverse or reticulated striae; metasternum divided into 2 plates by a V-shaped apodeme; wings usually fully developed in both sexes, forewing first vein setal row complete, second vein with 02 distal setae; abdominal tergites I–VII laterally with dense microtrichia; tergites II–VII with posterior marginal comb, longer laterally, short or lacking medially; posterior marginal comb on tergite VIII complete. Median paired setae on tergites II–IV close to each other, more widely separated on tergites V–VIII.

There are 23 Hydatothrips species listed here from East and South Asia, of which six species are known from Taiwan, including the two new species, H. flavidus and H. meriposa .