Haplothrips globiceps (Bagnall)

Minaei, Kambiz & Mound, Laurence, 2021, Character-state evaluation when discriminating Thysanoptera taxa (Insecta), Zootaxa 5061 (2), pp. 377-382 : 379

Haplothrips globiceps (Bagnall)

Hapliothrips globiceps Bagnall, 1934: 496 .

Haplothrips inoptatus Priesner, 1954 .

Haplothrips aliakbarii Mirab-balou & Miri, 2018: 608. Syn. n.

The recently described Haplothrips aliakbarii was stated by the authors to be “most similar” to H. aculeatus (Fabricius) , but with the further comment “In addition, the new species looks like H. andresi and H. subtilissimus ”. However, following the description of the new species the authors presented a well-organised key to the species of Haplothrips from Iran. In this key the new species tracks cleanly to couplet 22 that is shared only with H. globiceps (Bagnall) . In this couplet, aliakbarii is distinguished from globiceps by the two character states: the male has “no fore tarsal tooth” whereas globiceps has a “very small tooth”, and the major body setae are “shaded” in contrast to “dark brown” in globiceps . Unfortunately, no indication is given of how many specimens of globiceps were studied to support these statements, in particular, how many males. The description of aliakbarii was based on 14 females but only a single male. In contrast, Minaei & Mound (2008), having studied 14 males of globiceps from various sites, state that these males “rarely have a minute fore tarsal tooth” ( Figs 1–3 ).

The holotype female and the single paratype male of aliakbarii have been re-examined. We confirm that the male lacks a fore tarsal tooth, as do several males of globiceps that we have studied and list below. Moreover, despite the original description quoted above, there appears to be no significant difference in the colour of the major setae of the holotype or paratype from various non-type specimens of globiceps . We therefore conclude that the species aliakbarii is a new synonym of the eastern Mediterranean species globiceps , a thrips that is recorded from foliage in Turkey and Iran and is considered to be predatory on other small arthropods ( Minaei & Mound 2008).

Haplothrips globiceps was described from Turkey ( Bagnall 1934) and later reported from Iran (see Minaei & Mound 2008), but the species is not reported from any other country, and all of the slides of this species in the museums in Frankfurt and London are from Turkey. The number of plants from which this species has been collected in Iran is much greater than indicated in the revision of Haplothripini from Iran ( Minaei & Mound 2008), as indicated by the following list.

Specimens studied (other than those mentioned in Minaei & Mound, 2008) (all collected on leaves): IRAN, Fars province, Noorabad Mamasani , 2 females from Ficus carica , 31.iii.2008, ( KM 32 ) ; Kazerun , 3 females, 1 male from Quercus sp. , 17.vi.2008, ( KM 146 ) ; Sepidan , 4 females, 1 male from Juglans regia , 29.viii.2011, ( KM 524 ) ; Sepidan , 2 females, 2 males from Prunus sp. , 31.v.2012, ( KM 831 ) ; Shiraz , 2 females, 2 males from Ulmus sp. , 13.vii.2012, ( KM 872 ) ; Sepidan , 1 female from Tamarix sp. , 19.vii.2012, ( KM 880 ) ; Shiraz , 1 female from Ficus carica , 5.ix.2012, ( KM 892 ) ; same place, 1 female from Ficus carica (leaves), 25.iv.2014, ( KM 1168 ) ; Mahrloo , 3 females, 2 males from Amygdalus scoparia , 2.iv.2018, ( KM 1779 ) . Isfahan province, Isfahan, 3 females from Prunus sp. , 29.iii.2012, ( FH 75 ) ; same place, 4 females from Prunus cerasus , 8.iv.2012, ( FH 93 ) ; same place, 3 females, 2 males from Rumex sp. , 1.vii.2012, ( FH 149 ) . Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province, Keryak , 2 females, 1 male from Platanus orientalis , 23.viii.2017, ( KM 1699 ) .

Figures

FIGURES 1–3. Fore tarsal tooth in male of Haplothrips globiceps, (1) paratype of aliakbarii, without tooth; (2) a male from Prunus sp., without tooth; (3) a male from Vitis vinifera, with small tooth. PLEASE USE AN ARROW TO SHOW IT TO READERS