Mesothrips vitripennis Karny, 1922

Dang, Lihong, Tong, Xiaoli & Mound, Laurence A., 2024, New synonymy among gall thrips of the Asian genus Mesothrips, with revision of species from China (Thysanoptera, Haplothripini), ZooKeys 1196, pp. 121-138 : 121

Mesothrips vitripennis Karny

Figs 6 , 11 , 19 , 27 , 29

Mesothrips vitripennis Karny, 1922: 149.

Mesothrips moundi Ananthakrishnan, 1976: 195. Syn. nov.

Mesothrips elaeocarpi Ananthakrishnan, 1976: 192. Syn. nov.

Material examined.

1♂, China , Guangxi, Chongzuo, from tree leaves, 25.vii.2021, Xia Wang (SNUT); paratype , 1♀ of Mesothrips moundi , Hongkong , Tai Ling, from leaves of Bischofia trifoliata [ Phyllanthaceae ], 5.v.1966 (ANIC) . 1♀ 1♂, Vietnam , Kha-Tin, from leaf gall on Aporosa leptostachya [ Phyllanthaceae ], 20.xi.1920, Docters v. Leeuwen-No. 86 (SMF). Paratype , 1♀ of Mesothrips elaeocarpi , Indonesia , Java, Bogor, from leaf gall of Elaeocarpus stipularis [ Elaeocarpaceae ], 28.v.1925 (SMF) . 1♀, INDIA, Courtallam , on Mallotus sp. [ Euphorbiaceae ], 26.vii.1967, identified by Ananthakrishnan (SMF) .

Comments.

The original description states that this species was collected at Saigon from leaf galls on Aporosa on 19.x.1920, whereas the specimens studied here were labelled by Karny from a slightly different locality, collected 10.xi.1920 from leaf galls on Aporosa leptostachya . From a plant in the same family, Ananthakrishnan described M. moundi (Figs 6 , 11 ) from 17 females and 3 males taken in Hong Kong, and a paratype female is listed below as studied here. This specimen cannot be distinguished as a separate species from the M. vitripennis specimens. The head of M. vitripennis is rather short, the tube is short and approx. as long as the head width, tergite IX setae S1 are longer than the tube and the fore wings are pale. The new synonymy of M. elaeocarpi is based on the paratype female listed below, also one female from India identified by Ananthakrishnan.

Figures

Figures 2 - 7. Head and pronotum 2 M. longistylus sp. nov. 3 M. jianfengi sp. nov. 4 M. vernicia sp. nov. 5 M. jordani 6 M. vitripennis (paratype female of Mesothrips moundi) 7 M. sus (syntype female).

Figures 8 - 13. Mesothrips spp. Antennae (8 - 11) 8 M. longistylus sp. nov. 9 M. vernicia sp. nov. 10 M. jianfengi sp. nov. 11 M. vitripennis (paratype female of Mesothrips moundi); fore tarsi (12 - 13) 12 M. vernicia sp. n. 13 M. jianfengi sp. nov.

Figures 14 - 25. Mesothrips spp. Meso- and metanotum (14 - 15) 14 M. jianfengi sp. nov. 15 M. longistylus sp. nov.; M. longistylus sp. nov. (16 - 17) 16 pelta 17 tergites III-IV; fore wings (18 - 20) 18 M. jordani 19 M. vitripennis 20 M. longistylus sp. nov., sub-basal setae of forewing; tergites II-III (21 - 23) 21 M. vernicia sp. nov., tergite III 22 M. jordani 23 M. claripennis; tergites IX-X (24 - 25) 24 M. longistylus sp. nov. 25 M. vernicia sp. nov.

Figures 26 - 31. Mesothrips spp. Head, pronotum and foreleg (26 - 27) 26 M. pyctes 27 M. vitripennis (type specimens of Mesothrips elaeocarpi); tergites IX-X (28 - 29) 28 M. pyctes 29 M. vitripennis (type specimens of Mesothrips elaeocarpi); M. pyctes (30 - 31) 30 sub-basal setae of forewing 31 antennae.