Aulothrips Priesner, 1950

Mound, Laurence A., 2024, New generic synonyms amongst Thysanoptera Phlaeothripinae listed from Europe and the Mediterranean area, Zootaxa 5428 (1), pp. 146-150 : 146

Aulothrips Priesner

( Figs 1–4 )

Aulothrips Priesner, 1950: 70 .

Type species Aulothrips nubicus Priesner 1950 , by monotypy.

This genus was erected for a single species that remains known only from the original specimens collected at Gebel Elba on the south-eastern border between Egypt and Sudan. Despite this locality, which is on the northern edge of the Afro-tropical zone, the genus was included as a member of the Mediterranean fauna by Priesner (1965) and is therefore considered here. Aulothrips was distinguished from Haplothrips and other members of Haplothripini by the short postocular setae ( Fig. 1 ) and the short, broadly expanded, hyaline pronotal posteroangular setae ( Figs 2, 3 ), of which the latter were considered unique. However, both character states are shared by other species of Haplothrips . For example, in Haplothrips (Trybomiella) timori Mound & Minaei (2007) from northern Australia and Malaysia the pronotal setae are not quite as broadly expanded as those of A. nubicus ( Figs 5, 6 ), but the postocular setae are similarly short, and the maxillary stylets of females are close together in the head ( Fig. 6 ). The maxillary stylets of many Haplothrips species are widely spaced, often about one third of the head width apart. However, they are closer together in H. ordi Mound & Minaei , and scarcely one fifth of the head width apart in H. salicorniae Mound & Walker. The stylets in females of nubicus are even closer, but still with a clear maxillary bridge ( Fig. 1 ). They are thus similar to the stylets of females of H. timori ( Fig. 6 ), although the males of that species ( Fig. 7 ) have the stylets wider apart ( Dang & Mound 2023). Most other character states of A. nubicus are shared with various members of Haplothrips , including not only the short postocular setae but also the very slightly enlarged fore femora. As a result, Aulothrips Priesner is here considered a new synonym of the worldwide genus Haplothrips Amyot & Serville , with the new combination Haplothrips nubicus (Priesner) comb.n.

Figures

FIGURES 1–7. European problem genera. Aulothrips syntype female 1–4: (1) head; (2) pronotum; (3) epimeral seta; (4) antenna. Haplothrips timori 5–7: (5) pronotum; (6) female head and pronotum; (7) male head.