Liophloeothrips

Tyagi, Kaomud & Kumar, Vikas, 2011, The Indian species of Liophloeothrips Priesner (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae) with one new species, Zootaxa 2803, pp. 21-31 : 23

Key to Indian species of Liophloeothrips

The key to Indian species of this genus by Ananthakrishnan and Sen (1980: 98–99) is perplexing, and is here revised based on a study of type specimens of eight of the species. Type material of four species ( L. dentipes , L. nitidus , L. pictus and L. vichitravarna ) was not available, and these species are included in the key based on characters in the original description together with some fresh specimens of L. vichitravarna . We found that character states of the holotypes did not correspond with the descriptions for most of the species.

1. Body bicolorous...................................................................................... 2

-. Body unicolorous..................................................................................... 5

2. Mesopresternum complete, constricted at middle ( Fig. 24 )................................................ curtus

-. Mesopresternum incomplete, divided into 2 lateral triangles ( Fig. 28 )............................................ 3

3. Anteromarginals longer than anteroangulars...................................................... vichitravarna

-. Anteromarginals shorter or subequal to anteroangulars........................................................ 4

4. Tube yellow; anteromarginals shorter than anteroangulars.............................................. amoenus

-. Tube brown; anteromarginals subequal to anteroangulars ( Fig. 21 )....................................... reperticus

5. Body golden yellow................................................................................... 6

-. Body brown.......................................................................................... 7

6. Fore femora 0.9 times broader than head; fore tarsus with strong tooth; antennal segments IV yellow but distal 2/3 dark brown, V─VIII dark brown; all legs yellow.................................................................. nitidus

-. Fore femora 0.5 times broader than head; fore tarsus with small tooth; antennal segments IV─VIII dark brown; mid and hind femora brown.................................................................................... pictus

7. Mesopresternum complete, constricted at middle ( Figs. 25, 26 )............................................ ablusus

-. Mesopresternum incomplete, divided into 2 lateral triangles................................................... 8

8. Anteroangulars longer than anteromarginals ( Fig. 18 )......................................................... 9

-. Anteroangulars shorter than anteromarginals ( Fig. 22 )........................................................ 10

9. Maxillary stylets close together; postocular setae longer than eyes; fore tarsus with strong tooth; metanotum with longitudinal lines of sculpture; antennal segments I and VII─VIII brown, II─VI yellow................................... cecidii

-. Maxillary stylets not close together, wide apart; postocular setae shorter than eyes; fore tarsus with small tooth; metanotum with reticulate sculpture; antennal segments I─II and VIII brown, III─VII yellow........................... succinctus

10. Prothorax longer than head; fore tarsus with strong tooth................................................ dentipes

-. Prothorax shorter than head ( Fig. 1 ); fore tarsus with or without tooth........................................... 11

11. Metanotum with longitudinal lines of sculpture ( Fig. 7 )............................................. acaciae sp. n.

-. Metanotum with reticulate sculpture ( Fig. 31 )............................................................. 12

12. Postocular setae longer than eyes ( Fig. 22 )............................................................. segnis

-. Postocular setae as long as eyes ( Fig. 20 )............................................................. pavettae

Figures

FIGURES 23 – 31. Liophloeothrips mesopresternum. (23) L. reperticus, female macroptera; (24) L. curtus, female macroptera; (25 – 26) L. ablusus, female macroptera; (27) L. pavettae, female macroptera; (28) L. vichitravarna, female macroptera; (29) L. cecidii, male macroptera; (30) L. segnis, female macroptera. (31) Metanotum of L. succinctus, female macroptera.

FIGURES 17 – 22. Liophloeothrips head and pronotum. (17) L. ablusus, female macroptera; (18) L. cecidii, male macroptera; (19) L. curtus, female macroptera; (20) L. pavettae, female macroptera; (21) L. reperticus, female macroptera; (22) L. segnis, female macroptera.

FIGURES 1 – 7. Liophloeothrips acaciae. (1) Head and pronotum with left leg, female macroptera; (2) Prosternum, female macroptera; (3) Tergites IX – X, female macroptera; (4) Pelta, female macroptera; (5) Antenna, female macroptera; (6) Pelta male brachyptera; (7) Metanotum, female macroptera.