Aeolothrips afghanus Jenser

Minaei, Kambiz, Haftbaradarn, Farinaz & Khosravi, Ahmad Reza, 2013, Occurrence of males among Aeolothripidae (Thysanoptera), with description of the male of Aeolothrips afghanus, Zootaxa 3681 (3), pp. 286-288 : 286-288

Aeolothrips afghanus Jenser

Female macroptera. Body brown, antennal segment III yellow but brown at the tip, IV-IX yellowish-brown ( Fig. 1 ); all tarsi and distal part of tibiae pale; fore wings with a dark band along posterior margin, this does not include either the clavus or the wing apex and has two partial cross bands ( Fig. 2 ). Antennal segment III with linear sensorium 0.3–0.4 as long as segment, IV with linear sensorium 0.5–0.6 as long as segment and a little curved and wider at the apex (cf. Fig. 4 ). Abdominal sternite VII with 2 pairs of supernumerary setae, arranged one in front of the other and arising well in front of margin.

Measurements (female, in microns). Body distended length 1970. Head length (width) 180 (196). Pronotum length (width) 160 (250). Fore wing length (median width) 790 (117). Tergite IX S1 setae 126. Antennal segments I–IX length (width) 31 (33); 51 (27); 77 (21); 69 (23); 45 (22); 15 (16); 12 (15), 19 (10), 14 (5).

Male macroptera. Colour and structure generally similar to female but paler and smaller. Antennal segments I–II pale; III pale at the basal third, IV–IX yellowish brown ( Fig. 3 ); all legs pale but coxae and basal part of tibiae of mid and hind legs are brown ( Fig. 5 ). Abdominal tergite I with two longitudinal ridges, tergites without tubercles ( Fig. 6 ); tergite IX without claspers or stout curved setae ( Fig. 7 ). Sternite VII without sub-median accessory setae.

Measurements (male, in microns). Body distended length 1345. Head length (width) 141 (162). Pronotum length (width) 120 (200). Fore wing length (median width) 600 (90). Antennal segments I–IX length (width) 29 (30); 40 (25); 57 (19); 56 (21); 40 (21); 13 (15); 8 (13); 11 (8); 10 (5).

Material studied. IRAN, Isfahan Province, Isfahan, 2 females, 2 males, from flowers of Suaeda sp. ( Chenopodiaceae ), 26.vii.2012 (Farinaz Haftbaradarn).

Comments. A. afghanus is a member of species-complex in which the fore wing bears a longitudinal dark band along the posterior margin, but without a cross band. There are several species in this group in North America ( Bailey 1951; Hoddle et al. 2012), but afghanus is the only member of the group in the Palaearctic. In the male of afghanus , the tergites are without tubercles, and tergite IX is without claspers or stout setae. Among the Palaearctic Aeolothrips species, males of the following species have a similar abdomen: albicinctus , balati, cursor, gloriosus, montivagus, quercicola, versicolor, and wittmeri (zur Strassen 2003), also zurstrasseni ( Minaei 2013). The males of afghanus and zurstrasseni are similar in the color of the antennal segments, but afghanus is distinguished from all these species by the dark band along the posterior margin of the forewing without any cross band.

The diversity of thrips on Suaeda spp. is discussed by Minaei (2013), and the presence of both sexes of this apparently rare species confirms this diversity. The feeding habits of the species, whether phytophagous or predatory, remain unclear.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Aeolothrips afghanus female: (1) antenna; (2) forewing (base and distal parts not shown). A. afghanus male: (3) antenna; (4) antennal segments III – IV; (5) hind leg; (6) tergites III – VI; (7) tergites IX – XI.