Rediagnoses of the Asian genera Xylaplothrips and Mesandrothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae, Haplothripini), with keys to Australian species

Abstract

The genus Xylaplothrips is re-diagnosed, 11 species are listed as appropriately included in this genus of which three are new combinations from Haplothrips (X. acaciae; X. collyerae; X. gahniae). A further six species are listed as incertae sedis within Xylaplothrips and a key is provided to the four species of this genus known from Australia including X. anarsius sp.n. The genus Mesandrothrips is recalled from synonymy with Xylaplothrips, and a list is provided of 20 appropriately included species of which 14 are new combinations from Xylaplothrips (M. caliginosus; M. clavipes; M. darci; M. dubius; M. emineus; M. flavitibia; M. flavus; M. inquilinus; M. montanus; M. pictipes; M. pusillus; M. reedi; M. subterraneus; M. tener), and one is a new combination from Haplothrips (M. inquinatus).A key is provided to 10 species of this genus known from Australia, including three species transferred from Haplothrips, together with M. austrosteensia sp.n., M. googongi sp.n., M. kurandae sp.n., M. lamingtoni sp.n. and M. oleariae sp.n. The type species, M. inquilinus, is widespread across Southeast Asia as an invader of thrips galls, and Haplothrips darci Girault based on a single female from Queensland is considered closely related.

Studies on the genus Mesandrothrips from China, with a new species (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripinae: Haplothripini)

“…Haplothrips inquilinus Priesner, 1921: 4. Known as an invader of galls, this species was described originally from Indonesia and Indiain association with Ficus leaf galls and Pavetta galls. Mound and Tree (2019) recorded inquilinus in Java, Thailand, Singapore and Timor Leste respectively from galls on Smilax, Ficus, Polyalthia and Piper. One female and two males from Chengdu City of Sichuan Province are here recognised as inquilinus.…”

“…Species of the genus Androthrips are probably all predators of gallinducing thrips (Mound & Minaei 2007), and species of Podothrips are possibly all predators of small arthropods on various Poaceae (Mound & Minaei 2007;Okajima1978;Dang et al 2019). But although a few species of Haplothrips, Karnyothrips, Leptothrips and Mesandrothrips are known as predators (Palmer & Mound 1990;Okajima 2006;Mound & Tree 2019), there is little evidence that this behaviour is widespread amongst all members of these genera. However, the feeding behaviour for some Haplothripini taxa is still unknown, especially because they are usually collected in low numbers.…”

“…This is the situation for the genus Mesandrothrips, the target of the present study. Previous observations suggest that at least some of these thrips are predatory, including M. inquilinus (Priesner) which has been reported feeding on gall-inducing thrips in Asia (Priesner 1921;Ananthakrishnan & Jagadish 1969;Mound & Tree 2019).…”

“…The genus Mesandrothrips was recently re-diagnosed by Mound and Tree (2019) and comprises 20 species distributed in Asia and Australia (ThripsWiki 2020).This taxon was re-established including the Haplothrips-like species with three sense cones on antennal segment III and four on IV from Xylaplothrips and Haplothrips (Mound & Tree 2019;Minaei et al 2018). In China, three species are listed in the genus 'Xylaplothrips', inguilinus, palmerae and pictipes (Mirab-balou et al 2011), but then palmerae was treated as new combination to Karnyothrips (Dang et al 2014).…”

Identification of Haplothrips species from Malesia (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae)

“…Species that are now placed in the genus Haplothrips all have either one or two sense cones on antennal segment III, and four sense cones (rarely three) on segment IV. In contrast, Haplothrips-like species that have two sense cones on both of antennal segments III and IV are now placed in Xylaplothrips, and similar looking species with three sense cones on segment III and four on segment IV are now placed in Mesandrothrips (Mound & Tree 2019). Within the genus Haplothrips there is a further complication in that most species have fore wings with a group of duplicated cilia distally on the posterior margin.…”