Phylladothrips similis Okajima, 1988

Dang, Lihong, An, Yiyan, Okajima, Shuji & Mound, Laurence A., 2023, Taxonomic review of the Oriental genus Phylladothrips Priesner (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae), ZooKeys 1185, pp. 241-253 : 241

Phylladothrips similis Okajima

Phylladothrips similis Okajima, 1988: 719.

Material examined.

Holotype, ♀ (TUA), The Philippines, Mindanao , Mt. Apo, Agko, on dead leaves, 1.viii.1984 (S. Okajima); paratypes, 1♀ 1♂ (TUA), with the same data as holotype.

Comments.

Described from Mindanao, the Philippines, on dead leaves, and recorded from Indonesia, Thailand and Western Malaysia, this species seems widespread around Southeast Aisa and has various body colorations. It is difficult to distinguish from P. pictus indicated in the original description, but they are different in the shape of the male aedeagus ( Okajima 1988: figs 19-21). A paratype female of P. pictus on loan from SMF had abdominal segment II clear yellow, but III-IX brownish yellow and intermediate in colour between II and the brown tube. The color of abdominal segments of P. similis is II-III yellow, IV-V brown, VI-VIII brown to brownish yellow, IX and tube brown. However, a female from West Malaysia had the abdomen largely brown ( Okajima 1988). Variation in coloration also exists in many fungus-feeding Phlaeothripinae , such as the related genera, Apelaunothrips and Holothrips . Sometimes the color helps to distinguish species, but sometimes there are gradual changes in different specimens of one species.