Okajimathrips Bhatti

Okajima, Shûji & Masumoto, Masami, 2025, Some Poaceae-inhabiting Phlaeothripinae (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae) in East Asia, with descriptions of six new genera and 18 new species, Zootaxa 5726 (1), pp. 1-68 : 27

Okajimathrips Bhatti

Okajimathrips Bhatti, 1992: 130 . Type-species: Podothrips kentingensis Okajima , by monotypy.

This genus is included in the Haplothripini and is very closely related to the worldwide genus Podothrips . However, it is characterized by the following structures: mouth cone smaller and rather pointed ( Fig. 98 ); prothoracic notopleural sutures incomplete ( Fig. 100 ); basantra often partly fused to ferna; mesopresternum reduced, divided into two small lateral triangles ( Fig. 101 ); fore wings parallel-sided ( Fig. 254 ), but slender; tube distinctly constricted at apex ( Fig. 102 ); male sternite VIII with a pair of pore plates ( Fig. 103 ); male tergite IX extruded posteriorly. Previously, only the type-species, O. kentingensis , was included in this genus, but one additional species is newly described here from northern Thailand. Both these species are frequently found under the leaf sheaths of bamboo, infrequently on grass tussocks, and they seem to prey on coccids like Podothrips species.

Diagnosis. Body slightly flattened, macropterous. Head longer than wide, with a pair of postocular setae. Postocular setae arose near cheeks. Eyes and ocelli well-developed. Antennae eight-segmented; segments III and IV each with (1+1) sense cones. Mouth cone short and rounded, relatively pointed; maxillary stylets retracted to postocular setae, close together medially; maxillary bridge present. Pronotum with three pairs of setae developed, am and ml reduced; notopleural sutures incomplete. Basantra well developed, longer than wide, often fused to ferna. Mesopresternum divided into two lateral triangles; metathoracic sternopleural sutures well-developed, furcal arms separated from one another, without spinula. Fore tarsal tooth present in both sexes ( Fig. 99 ), falciform; fore tibia with an inner subapical tubercle. Fore wings parallel-sided, without duplicated cilia. Pelta wide, nearly semicircular. Tergites II–VII with two pairs of wing-retaining setae. Tube shorter than head, distinctly constricted at apex; terminal setae a little longer than tube. Male tergite IX extruded posteriorly. Male sternite VIII with a pair of pore plates.

Key to Okajimathrips species

1. Postero-lateral setae S2 on tergites III–V usually expanded, those on tergites VI and VII finely pointed; head about 1.2 times as long as wide ( Fig. 106 ); antennal segment III about 1.5 times as long as wide ( Fig. 107 ); maxillary bridge rather distinct, much wider than one-fifth of head width; sub-basal wing setae S1 usually expanded, S2 often expanded; body sharply bicolored ( Fig. 105 ), head, abdominal segments VIII–IX and tube largely dark brown, the rest of body yellow............... kentingensis

-. Postero-lateral setae S2 on tergites III and IV usually expanded, those on tergites V–VII finely pointed; head about 1.3 times as long as wide ( Fig. 96 ); antennal segment III about 1.8 times as long as wide ( Fig. 104 ); maxillary bridge rather weak, about one-fifth as wide as head, or a little narrower; sub-basal wing setae usually pointed; body largely yellow ( Fig. 94 ), but anterior half of head and apex of tube brown, rarely abdominal segment IX and tube brown..................... borealis sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURES 94–107. Okajimathrips species. O. borealis sp. nov. 94–104: (94 & 95) whole body; (96 & 97) head; (98) mouth cone, female; (99) fore leg, female; (100) prothoracic notopleural suture, female; (101) prosternum and mesopresternum, female; (102) tube, female; (103) sternite VIII, male; (104) antennal segments III–VIII, female. O. kentingensis 105–107: (105) whole body; (106) head, female; (107) antennal segments III–VIII, female.

FIGURES 254–257. Fore wing, female. (254) Okajimathrips borealis sp. nov.; (255) Podothrips odonaspicola; (256) Praepodothrips indicus; (257) Yurikoazamiuma bidens gen. et sp. nov.