Identification of Haplothrips species from Malesia (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae)

Abstract

A key is provided to 13 species of Haplothrips recorded from Malesia, the tropical biogeographic region that extends from Peninsular Malaysia to New Guinea. Three new synonyms are established, and H. aliceae sp.n. is described from Sarawak, Timor-Leste and Thailand. In contrast to recent treatments of Haplothrips, one of the most common members of the genus in Australia, H. angustus Hood is recognised as a syn.n. of H. ganglebaueri Schmutz that is widespread from Iran to Indonesia. Difficulties in distinguishing between three of the most common flower-living, Southeast Asian, species of this genus are discussed: H. anceps Hood from northern Australia, H. chinensis Priesner from Hong Kong, and H. brevitubus (Karny) from Japan.

Recognition of Haplothrips jordani (Bagnall); one of the oldest names in the insect Order Thysanoptera

“…6). As indicated in the key to species (Mound 2019), the fore wing sub-basal seta S3 is unusually long and finely pointed in certus, the fore tarsus of both sexes bears a curious hook-like tooth distally at the inner apex, and the mid and hind tarsi are as dark as their tibiae. As a result, the name Haplothrips jordani refers to a species that is widespread in the tropics of southeast Asia, apparently breeding in flowers and possibly in the inflorescences of some Poaceae species.…”

“…The species jordani was completely ignored by most subsequent workers on the genus Haplothrips and was not included by Priesner (1933) in a key to Indomalayan species. However, it was included recently in a study of the Haplothrips species of Malesia (Mound 2019), but that involved a serious error of interpretation. The male type specimen was studied in London, whereas the published image of the head was produced in Canberra and is of the female from Frankfurt.…”

“…2). As a result, couple 8 of the identification key (Mound 2019) produces incorrect identifications. The female "jordani" from Frankfurt, with the stylets close together, is here recognised as a misidentified female of Haplothrips imperatae Priesner, also described from Sumatra.…”