Thrips

Minaei, Kambiz, 2013, The genus Aeolothrips in Iran (Thysanoptera: Aeolothripidae) with one new species, Zootaxa 3630 (3), pp. 594-600 : 599

Thrips diversity on Suaeda plants

In addition to three Aeolothrips species discussed here, two other species ( Ankothrips zayandicus and Haplothrips herajus ) were recently described from Suaeda sp. (Minaei et al. 2012; Minaei & Aleosfoor 2013). Moreover, large numbers of Eremiothrips varius have also been found on this plant (Minaei et al. 2012), and Chenopodiaceae is considered a host for some Eremiothrips species in Iran (Minaei 2012). In the absence of detailed biological studies, it is not possible to assume a host association of these species with chenopod plants. However, the host association of Haplothrips kermanensis zur Strassen on Haloxylon sp., another chenopod (zur Strassen 1975) was confirmed by collecting larvae on the plant and laboratory rearing these to adults (Minaei & Mound 2008). The presence of a rich fauna of thrips on grasses is well documented in Iran (Minaei & Mound 2008; Minaei & Mound 2010). However, the large expanse of saline soils in Iran, with extensive saline habitats in temperate and hot deserts, provides conditions for diversification of the family Chenopodiaceae (Akhani 2008) . Iran has one of the richest floras of chenopod plants in the world, with 201 reported species (Hatami 2011), so that about 53% of known halophytes of Iran belong to this family (Akhani & Ghorbani 1993). Moreover, the genus Suaeda is one of the largest genera in this family in Iran (Ebrahimzadeh et al. 1994). It seems likely that plants in this family support a diversity of insects, including Thysanoptera .