Azaleothrips lepidus Okajima

(Figs 68–72)

Azaleothrips lepidus Okajima, 1978: 386 .

Diagnosis. Body brown, prothorax brownish yellow to yellowish brown, at least paler than head; fore femora yellowish, shaded with brown in apical 2/3, especially at outer side; antennal segment III yellow, often very weakly shaded, basal neck of segment IV yellowish. Head (Fig. 68) a little longer than wide, distinctly reticulate; antennal segment VIII distinct from VII, segments III and IV with three (1 + 2) and four (2 + 2) sensoria, respectively. Pronotum (Fig. 69) sculptured with lines of reticulation; basantra absent; fore tarsus with a tooth in both sexes; mesonotum (Fig. 71) with dentate microtrichia along transverse lines of reticulation; metanotum (Fig. 71) longitudinally reticulate or striate. Male pore plate on abdominal sternite VIII widely developed; S1 setae on tergite IX almost as long as half the length of tube; S2 setae on tergite IX expanded in female, pointed in male; tube about 2/3 as long as head in female; anal setae a little longer than tube.

This species was described based on several females and males collected from Northern Thailand, and belongs to the amabilis group. A sympatric species described below, toshifumii, is very similar to this species, and the differences between these two species are discussed under toshifumii .