Psilothrips bimaculatus (Priesner, 1932)

Minaei, Kambiz & Mound, Laurence, 2015, Thysanoptera disjunct distribution between western America and the Mediterranean with a new Psilothrips species (Thripidae) from Iran, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift 62 (1), pp. 1-7 : 3

Taxon classification Animalia Thysanoptera Thripidae

Psilothrips bimaculatus (Priesner, 1932) Fig. 3

Thamnothrips bimaculatus Priesner, 1932: 3.

Psilothrips indicus Bhatti, 1967: 12. Syn.n.

Remarks.

Widespread in southern Mediterranean countries, from Morocco to Israel and Yemen, also in Iran from siris trees ( Albizia sp., Fabaceae) in Khozestan Province ( Alavi and Mohiseni 2002), this species is here interpreted to include records from India and central China. The type specimens of Psilothrips indicus , three females collected in Delhi on Ipomoea carnea ( Convolvulaceae), are not available for study but are presumably in the "J.S. Bhatti Private collection" ( Bhatti and de Borbon 2008). The proposed new synonymy is based on the original description, together with two females from Ningxia, China, collected from Lycium halimifolium ( Solanaceae), 20.VII.1980, and identified as Psilothrips indicus by Han Yun-fa (in BMNH and SMF). These two females have been compared with females from Morocco, Egypt, Israel and Yemen. The colour, as described by Bhatti (1967) is distinctive, with abdominal tergites II–VII sharply paler posterolaterally, and the metanotal equiangular reticulations with few or no internal markings. This species, under the name of Psilothrips indicus , has been considered a pest on Chinese wolfberry ( Lycium spp.) in China ( Li et al. 2012).