Neohydatothrips John

Neohydatothrips John

Neohydatothrips John, 1929: 33. Type-species Neohydatothrips latereostriatus John.

Faureana Bhatti, 1973: 411. Type-species Zonothrips smutsi Faure. Syn. n.

Neohydatothrips (Onihothrips) Bhatti, 1973: 435. Type-species Neohydatothrips formosus Faure. Syn. n. Sariathrips Bhatti, 1990: 247. Type-species Sericothrips masrensis Priesner. Syn. n.

Papiliothrips Bhatti, 2006: 359. Type-species Sericothrips gracilicornis Williams. Syn. n.

This genus now includes almost 100 species, mainly from tropical countries. Separation of Neohydatothrips from Hydatothrips continues to be unsatisfactory, as indicated above, but is retained here because of the large number of names involved, including those of pest species, until such time as a comprehensive analysis of the Sericothripinae is attempted. Wang (2007) listed two further genera as synonyms under Neohydatothrips. Elbuthrips Bhatti was erected for a single species with the marginal setae arising submarginally on sternites II–VI as well as on sternite VII. Kazinothrips Bhatti was erected for two species with 7-segmented antennae. Moreover, the only species placed in Sensothrips Bhatti was treated in Neohydatothrips by Wang (2007). Sensothrips had been proposed for a species, described originally in Kazinothrips, in which the sensoria on antennal segments V–VI do not have elongate bases. However, the length of these sensoria is variable among Sericothripinae, and there is no phylogenetic purpose in separating this one species. To these three generic synonyms are here added a further four. Papiliothrips (mis-spelled initially as “Piliothrips”) was proposed for three species in which the tergites have a continuous microtrichiate craspedum on the posterior margin; this is here considered a synonym, as this tergal characteristic recurs in other apparently unrelated species. Similarly, Onihothrips Bhatti was erected as a subgenus of Neohydatothrips on the basis of character states that recur in different combinations amongst other species in this genus. Faureana Bhatti was erected for one species with a very long mouth cone extending almost to the metasternum, long ocellar setae III, no sculpture on the pale anterior half of the pronotum, and no sculpture on the strongly demarcated brown “blotch”. It has the metasternum with the anterior margin shallowly concave, and the species seems best placed in Neohydatothrips. Sariathrips Bhatti was erected for a single species that has the anterior margin of the metasternum transverse, suggesting that the species is better placed within Neohydatothrips.