Gigantothrips elegans Zimmermann

Figs 9, 12, 15, 18, 25

Gigantothrips elegans Zimmermann, 1900: 18.

Material examined.

20♀ 3♂ (NZMC), China, Hainan, 07.iv.1958, X.L. Meng; 1♀ (NZMC), Hainan, 18.v.1983, M.S. Shuo; 2♂ (NZMC), Hainan, 20.v.1985, M.S. Shuo; 1♀ (NZMC), Hainan, 20.v.1963, B.L. Zhang .

Comments.

Described from Java, Indonesia, this species is widespread in the tropical area from India to the Philippines, including southern China, feeding on leaves of Ficus species (Bagnall 1908; Hood 1919; Sen, Pramanik and Sengupta 1988). This species differs from other Gigantothrips species in having numerous remarkable stout setae on the anterior margin of the pronotum (Fig. 12). Studied here were 22 females and five males from Hainan Island, and they have at least five pairs of sigmoid retaining setae on tergites II-V although there are no wing-retaining setae on VI-VII (Fig. 25).