Noathrips prakashi Bhatti, 1967

Xie, Yanlan, Li, Yajin, Li, Zhengyue & Zhang, Hongrui, 2019, Two genera of Panchaetothripinae newly recorded from China, with first description of males of Opimothrips tubulatus (Thysanoptera, Thripidae), Zootaxa 4567 (3), pp. 583-586 : 583

Noathrips prakashi Bhatti ( Figs 1–10)

The genus Noathrips was erected with prakashi as the type species, collected from herbage and Lantana leaves in India ( Bhatti 1967). Subsequently, 1 female and 1 male of this species were collected in Sri Lanka from grasses ( Kudô 1979). The genus is closely related to Copidothrips but can be distinguished by one segmented tarsi and forked sense cones on antennal segments III and IV.

Female macroptera. Body brown with terminal segments VIII–X paler ( Fig. 1); antennal segments I–II yellow, segments III–V with base yellow and apex shaded, the base of VI yellow, apex of 3/4 shaded, VII and VIII brown ( Fig. 7); fore wing brown with base, middle and apical areas pale ( Fig. 10).

Head sculptured with transverse reticulations, ocellar region slightly elevated; a tranverse ridge present ( Fig. 3); postocular setae minute but setae IV well developed. Antennae 8-segmented, III and IV with sensorium short and forked. Pronotum completely reticulate, with the sculpture weakly raised, except for the triangle areas in the middle ( Fig. 4); about 10–12 long discal setae present. Mesoscutum with short posteromedian cleft; metascutum with a strong triangle sculptured ( Fig. 5). Metascutellum narrow. Abdominal tergites with median setae minute, tergite II with strong raised cuticles on lateral sides ( Fig. 6), tergite X asymmetrical, median split complete ( Fig. 8); sternites II–VII each with 3 pairs of long posteromarginal setae.

Male macroptera. Similar to female, but smaller in size ( Fig. 2). Abdominal sternites IV–VII each with U-shaped pore plate near anterior ( Fig. 9).

Specimen studied. CHINA, Guizhou, Jiangkou County, Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve , 6 females and 1 male from the leaves of Eurya nitida [ Theaceae ] 27.ix.2018 (Xie Yanlan); same locality, 2 females from Eurya muricata , 11.viii.2017 (Li Yajin); Hunan, Zhangjiajie City, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, 1 male from grasses, 30.ix.2018 (Zhang Caihong), in collection of Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming; 1 female deposited in Australian National Insect Collection, Canberra .