Dolicholepta Priesner, 1932

Minaei, Kambiz & Mound, Laurence A., 2008, The Thysanoptera Haplothripini (Insecta: Phlaeothripidae) of Iran, Journal of Natural History 42 (41 - 42), pp. 2617-2658 : 2630-2631

Dolicholepta Priesner

Dolichothrips (Dolicholepta) Priesner, 1932: 198 . Type-species Dolichothrips giraffa Karny (5 Liothrips micrurus Bagnall ), by original designation.

Head long and slender, narrowed posteriorly; mouth cone long and pointed ( Figure 1 ); fore ocellus overhanging bases of antennae. Antennae 8 – segmented, segment III with one large and one small sensorium; segments V–VI with apex strongly asymmetric ( Figure 22 ). Prosternal basantra present (cf. 11–14); metanotum closely striate medially. Legs long and slender. Wings fully developed, constricted medially, without duplicated cilia. Abdominal tergites with more than two pairs of sigmoid setae; tube short (cf. Figure 31 ).

Comments

Although described as a subgenus of Dolichothrips , these two genera are probably not closely related. Members of Dolichothrips have three well-developed sensoria on the third antennal segment, and also have duplicated wing cilia developed. They occur across Asia and south-east Asia to Australia, and are found in flowers and buds ( Mound and Minaei 2007). In contrast, the members of Dolicholepta have only one major sensorium on the third segment (often also a smaller sensorium on the inner apex), and lack duplicated wing cilia, and it seems possible that the species may be predatory.

Dolicolepta micrura (Bagnall)

Liothrips micrurus Bagnall, 1914: 292–293 .

This species is recorded from north Africa and southern Europe ( Priesner 1964). The host association is not clear, but the thrips has been found on both Ziziphus and Acacia .

Diagnosis

Blackish-brown, antennal segment II pale-brown in distal half, III–VI pale-yellow, VII–VIII shaded ( Figure 22 ); wings pale even at base, setae on sub-basal wing and tergite IX pale, anal setae pale at apex. Antennal segment III elongate ( Figure 22 ), longer than IV, IV with four sensoria. Postocular setae not extending to posterior margin of eyes, blunt (weakly blunt or finely pointed in males); mouth cone extending between fore coxae ( Figure 1 ); maxillary stylets about one-third of head width apart, not reaching postocular setae, maxillary bridge absent. Pronotum with four pairs of major setae, all blunt, midlateral pair not developed; pronotum and mesonotum transversely striate; fore tarsal tooth absent (cf. Figures 4, 5, 7 ), rarely a minute tooth present in males; mesopresternum forming two lateral triangles ( Figure 1 ); metanotum with a pair of minor setae anterior to median major pair; forewing sub-basal wing setae S1, S2, S3 blunt. Tergite IX S1, S2 and S3 acute, longer than tube, S1 subequal to S2; tube short (cf. Figure 31 ), at most twice as long as basal width.

Male similar to female but antennae usually darker. Segment IX with setae S2 very small and fine; pseudovirga long and slender, not widened at apex ( Figure 39 ).

Material examined

Iran: Fars Province: Noorabad , 4 ♀, 3 „, 8.x.2004, 2 ♀, 25.ix.2004, 4 ♀, 3 „ from Ziziphus spina-christi , 20.ix.2002. Niger: 300km north of Agadez, 7 ♀ from Acacia sp. , 6.x.2002 ( ANIC). 2 Abu Dhabi: Jebel Hafit, 5 ♀, 2 „ and larvae from Acacia tortillis , 20.vi.2007 ( ANIC) .

Neoheegeria Schmutz

Neoheegeria Schmutz, 1909: 344 . Type species N. dalmatica Schmutz , by monotypy.

Head a little longer than wide; maxillary stylets long and slender, deeply retracted into head, more than one-third of head width apart, maxillary bridge well developed; postocular setae pointed, extending beyond hind margin of eye. Antennae 8 – segmented, segment III with three sensoria, IV with four sensoria; VIII short and broad at base. Pronotum with five pairs of well-developed, pointed, major setae. Prosternal basantra present, always wider than long ( Figure 14 ); mesopresternum forming two lateral triangles ( Figure 14 ), but sometimes weakly joined medially. Metanotum weakly sculptured. Fore tarsal tooth variable, sometimes minute or apparently absent. Forewings present, constricted medially, with three sub-basal setae situated in a triangle ( Figure 20 ); 10–18 duplicated cilia (cf. Figure 18 ) present. Abdominal segment IX with setae S1 and S2 acute, sometimes longer than tube; tube two to three times as long as basal width. Male with setae S2 on tergite IX short and stout; pseudovirga slender ( Figure 48 ).

Comments

This genus now comprises four species ( Minaei et al. 2007b) from the southern Palaearctic region, and these seem to be associated primarily with the flowers of Lamiaceae .

Key to species

1. Fustis normal, about as long as basal width of tube; antennal segments darkbrown, but segments IV–VI sometimes yellow at base; antennal segment IV no more than 1.8 times as long as maximum width………………………… dalmatica - Fustis unusually long, at least 1.3 times as long as basal width of tube; antennal segments III–VI yellow, sometimes shaded brown; antennal segment IV at least twice as long as maximum width............................ persica

Figures

Figures 1–9. (1) Dolicholepta micrura female head and prosternum; (2–3) Haplothrips kermanensis head and pronotum – 2: female; 3: male; (4) H. globiceps female head and pronotum; (5) H. ganglbaueri female fore leg; (6) H. maroccanus male fore leg; (7) H. subtilissimus female head and pronotum; (8–9) H. tritici fore leg – 8: female from Noorabad on barley; 9: male from Karaj on wheat.

Figures 22–31. (22) Dolicholepta micrura female antenna; (23) Haplothrips distinguendus female antenna; (24) H. kermanensis female antenna; (25) H. maroccanus female antenna; (26) H. reuteri female antenna; (27) H. kermanensis female antennal segment III; (28) H. globiceps female antennal segment III; (29) H.?minutus female antennal segment III–IV; (30) H. leucanthemi female tergite IX and tube; (31) H. aculeatus female tergite IX and tube.

Figures 35–48. Pseudovirga of Haplothripini. (35) Haplothrips andresi; (36) H. globiceps; (37) H. phyllophilus; (38) H. subtilissimus; (39) Dolicholepta micrura; (40) H. aculeatus; (41) H. flavicinctus; (42) H. ganglbaueri; (43) H. kermanensis; (44) H. leucanthemi; (45) H. minutus; (46) H. reuteri; (47) H. tritici; (48) Neoheegeria dalmatica.

Figures 10–21. (10) Haplothrips globiceps female hind leg; (11) H. aculeatus female prosternum and mesopresternum; (12) H. subtilissimus female prosternum and mesopresternum; (13) H. tritici female prosternum and mesopresternum; (14) Neoheegeria dalmatica female prosternum and mesopresternum; (15) H. aculeatus female pelta; (16) H. tritici female pelta; (17) H. kermanensis female metanotum; (18–19) H. reuteri – 18: female forewing; 19: cilia at forewing apex; (20) Neoheegeria dalmatica female sub-basal wing setae; (21) H. globiceps female sub-basal wing setae.