Megalothrips curvidens Okajima, 2006

Okajima, Shûji & Masumoto, Masami, 2025, Two idolothripine genera, Bactrothrips and Megalothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae), from Asia between India and Taiwan, with descriptions of two new species, Zootaxa 5696 (4), pp. 491-516 : 510

Megalothrips curvidens Okajima

( Fig. 90, 91 & 102 )

Megalothrips curvidens Okajima, 2006: 118–121 .

M. curvidens was described from Japan based on a good number of females and males, and has both noto-epimeral and noto-episternal sutures almost completely lost ( Fig. 102 ). It is very similar to M. andrei , and Okajima (2006) pointed out that these two may represent local variants of a single species. However, the tube and two pairs of postocular setae are shorter in curvidens . The females of curvidens have the tubes 1.00–1.12 (1.05 on average) times as long as head, and have the postocular setae pair II mostly shorter than 80µm, whereas two paratype females of andrei have the tube 1.15–1.20 times as long as head, and the postocular pair II 135–160µm. A series of specimens listed below collected from south Vietnam and one female from Taiwan have similar short tube and two pairs of cephalic setae and could well be identified as this species.

Specimens examined. Vietnam, 12 females and 2 males, Lam Dong Prov., Da Lat, Ward 5, Lam Sinh, on dead branches, 23.xii.2001, SO. Taiwan, 1 female, Nantou-hsien, Nanshanchi, on dead leaves and branches, 29.viii.1993, TN & SO. Japan, many females and males including type series from Honshu, Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands (detailed data are omitted, see Okajima 2006).

Figures

FIGURES 90–91. Megalothrips curvidens: (90) female; (91) male.

FIGURES 94–102. Megalothrips species. M. sulawesicus sp. nov. 94–101: (94) head and prothorax, female; (95) antenna, female; (96) prosternum, female; (97) prothorax, female; (98) pelta, female; (99) tergites III–IV, female; (100) abdominal segment VI and VII, male; (101) tube, female. M. curvidens, female: (102) prothorax, female.