Thrips priesneri Hood

Thrips priesneri Hood, 1932: 136

Two of the original 14 females have been studied, collected from flowers in the Cameroons, 16.ii.1916. The original description suggests that the body is sharply bicoloured, as was also described for T. aurantithoracis . However, the two paratypes are better described as light brown with the abdomen darkest, legs mainly brownish yellow, forewing uniformly shaded with small paler area between the veins sub-basally. At present, aurantithoracis and priesneri cannot be distinguished satisfactorily, and may prove to represent the same species (cf. Figs 6, 42). A closely related new species, T. solari, is described below from southern Nigeria, but that has the pronotal discal setae much weaker than the condition found in T. priesneri (Fig. 41)..

Diagnosis. Antennae 7-segmented, segments III–IV with weak apical neck, IV about 3.1 times as long as wide. Ocellar setae III on anterior margins of triangle, about as long as distance between two ocelli. Pronotum with about 30 transverse lines, posteroangular setae about 0.5 as long as pronotum (Fig. 41). Metanotum almost striate, median setae behind anterior margin (Fig. 42). Forewing first vein with 3 setae on distal half. Abdominal tergites with sculpture lines extending sometimes almost to campaniform sensilla; tergite VIII with complete regular comb; sternites and pleurotergites without discal setae.