Psalidothrips ascitus (Ananthakrishnan)

Zhao, Chao, Zhang, Hongrui & Tong, Xiaoli, 2018, Species of the fungivorous genus Psalidothrips Priesner from China, with five new species (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae), ZooKeys 746, pp. 25-50 : 32

Psalidothrips ascitus (Ananthakrishnan) Figs 13-14, 71

Callothrips ascitus Ananthakrishnan, 1969: 176.

Psalidothrips ascitus (Ananthakrishnan): Okajima, 1983: 6.

Comments.

This species is found widely across the tropical and subtropical areas of China, also in other parts of the world. It is most closely related to P. lewisi (Bagnall). Their males are difficult to distinguish from each other as their pore plates are very similar in shape (Figs 14, 71, 76), but the females can be distinguished from those of P. lewisi by the length of the postocellar setae that are usually as long as the diameter of an ocellus or shorter, and the colour of the antennae and head that are almost uniformly brown (Fig. 13) ( Okajima 2006). However, these two species were always collected together at the same sampling sites from leaf litter. Overall, in structure these two species are very similar to each other and the possibility exists that they may represent a single, widespread species.

Distribution.

China (Hubei, Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi, Yunnan, Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan); Japan; Malaysia; India.