Senegathrips Bournier, 1971: 145

Dahiya, Nisha, 2014, Systematic relationships of Vuilletia and Senegathrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae) from galls on the West African shrub Guiera senegalensis, Zootaxa 3811 (1), pp. 146-148 : 148

Senegathrips Bournier, 1971: 145

Type species Senegathrips coutini Bournier, 1971: 146

Generic diagnosis. Both sexes macropterous; antennae 8-segmented, II with sensorium on apical half of segment, III with 3 sensoria, IV with 4 sensoria, VIII strongly constricted to base; head longer than wide, cheeks weakly convex; stylets more than one-third of head width apart with distinct maxillary bridge, retracted to postocular setae; postocular setae long; pronotum transverse, notopleural sutures complete, major setae long, weakly capitate, but anteromarginal pair minute, 2 pairs epimeral setae present; prosternal basantra and spinasternum well-developed, ferna large and pointed medially, mesopresternum reduced to two slender triangles; metathoracic sternopleural sutures absent; mesonotal lateral setae long and weakly capitate, metanotal median setae small and acute; fore femora not swollen, fore tarsal inner apex with sharply recurved tooth; fore wing weakly constricted medially, few duplicated cilia, 4 long capitate sub-basal setae; pelta triangular, campaniform sensilla present; tergites II–VII with two pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae, median setal pair small; tergite IX with 3 pairs of long pointed setae, S2 of male short and pointed; tube shorter than head; male sternites without pore plates.

Comments. The only species in this genus was described from 12 females taken from Vuilletia galls in Senegal. Two males and two females of this species have been studied from Burkina Faso, taken from Vuilletia galls. The males are very similar to females, except for the setae on the ninth tergite. The presence of prosternal basantra, a maxillary bridge, fore wings that are weakly constricted medially, and the sensoria of the third and fourth antennal segments, all suggest that this genus is a member of the tribe Haplothripini ( Mound & Minaei 2007) . Bournier (1971) suggested a relationship to Mesothrips , an Asian genus of gall-inducing species. However, the sharply recurved, apical, fore tarsal tooth suggests that Senegathrips is more closely related to Karnyothrips , and is possibly a predator of the gall-inducing species.