Aeolothrips eremicola Priesner, 1938

Rasool, Iftekhar, Alattal, Yehya Zaki & Aldhafer, Hathal M., 2023, Faunistic inventory, identification keys and zoogeographical analysis of the Thysanoptera-Terebrantia of Saudi Arabia, including two new species, Zootaxa 5306 (2), pp. 151-200 : 157

Aeolothrips eremicola Priesner

Aeolothrips eremicola Priesner, 1938: 212

This Palearctic species was described from Egypt based on the female, whereas the male was described subsequently from Mongolia ( Pelikán 1984) and Iran ( Alavi et al. 2013). It is distributed from Mongolia to China, Iran, North of Africa and is new to Saudi Arbia. It is a rare species, in general appearance very similar to A. persiae ( Alavi & Minaei 2018) . However, it can be distinguished by the vertex with 10–11 ocellar setae; postocular setae arising irregularly; antennal segments III–IV shaded grey at least on apical half. In contrast, in A. persiae there are 7 pairs of ocellar setae on the vertex; postocular setae are in regular oblique rows, and antennal segments III–IV with extreme apex of shaded grey.

Material studied. Riyadh. AL Muzahamiya, one female from Phalaris minor , 12.iii.2020, ( BT); Al Dawadmi, Khafifa, two females from Phalaris minor, (BT) .