Mesandrothrips pictipes (Bagnall)

Dang, Li-Hong, Zhao, Lin-Peng, Xie, Dan-Le, Zhao, Le & Qiao, Ge-Xia, 2020, Studies on the genus Mesandrothrips from China, with a new species (Thysanoptera Phlaeothripinae: Haplothripini), Zootaxa 4816 (1), pp. 123-128 : 126

Mesandrothrips pictipes (Bagnall)

( Figs 4 , 8 , 17 )

Haplothrips pictipes Bagnall, 1919: 273 .

Described originally from Indonesia (Sumatra) and India (Talimbaramta) and recorded on diseased pepper berries, the feeding habits of this species are not clear. Mound and Tree (2019) recorded the species living on the leaves and flowers of live plants, various weeds, dried fruits and dead branches. In this study, 38 females and 19 males have been beaten from weeds, bamboo leaves and pine tree with isolated individuals from southwest of China, including Tibet, Sichuan, Jiangxi and Yunnan. Some males have armed fore tarsi and somewhat enlarged fore femora, and the species may be a predator rather than a fungus-feeder. It is easily distinguished from the other three Mesandrothrips species from China in having the pronotal am setae well developed ( Fig. 4 ) .

Figures

FIGURES 1–5. Head, pronotum & fore legs: 1. M. acutisetis sp.n., female; 2. M. acutisetis sp.n., male; 3. M. inquilinus; 4. M. pictipes; 5. M. subterraneus.

FIGURES 6–14. Antennae: 6. M. acutisetis sp.n.; 7. M. inquilinus; 8. M. pictipes; 9. M. subterraneus. M. acutisetis sp.n.: 10. Base of fore wing; 11. Mesopresternum; 12. Pelta; 13. Tergites IX–X; 14. Pelta of male.

FIGURES 15–20. The colour photos of Mesandrothrips: 15. M. acutisetis sp.n., female; 16. M. acutisetis sp.n., male; 17. M. pictipes; 18.M. subterraneus; 19. M. inquilinus; 20. M. acutisetis sp.n., fore wing without duplicated cilia.