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

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).