Mesandrothrips Priesner

Mesandrothrips Priesner View in CoL

Mesandrothrips Priesner, 1933: 80 View in CoL . Type-species: Haplothrips inquilinus Priesner, 1921 View in CoL , by monotypy.

In this study, the species included in Mesandrothrips View in CoL are limited to M. inquilinus View in CoL and its close relatives, with the previously included species transferred to the genus Neandrothrips gen. nov. This genus is very closely related to Karnyothrips View in CoL , and could not be distinguished satisfactory in most structures ( Okajima & Masumoto 2025). It can be distinguished from Karnyothrips View in CoL only by the structure of the prosternum and the length of the terminal tube setae. The basantra are well developed and situated far from the ferna in Karnyothrips View in CoL , but some species, such as K. acutus and K. semiflavus View in CoL , have somewhat intermediate ones. Therefore, there is a possibility that these two genera could be treated as a single genus. Androthrips View in CoL is also closely related to this genus, but has the fore femur armed with an inner sub-basal tubercle and the fore tibia usually with an inner sub-apical scale or tubercle. In contrast, even though a new genus, Neandrothrips gen. nov., is separated here from Mesandrothrips View in CoL , it is not so closely related to Karnyothrips View in CoL . It has the fore tarsus with a lateral tooth and the prothoracic anteromarginal setae usually well developed (rarely reduced), whereas Mesandrothrips View in CoL has the fore tarsus with an apical tooth and the prothoracic anteromarginal setae always reduced. Currently, Mesandrothrips View in CoL is discriminated from Xylaplothrips View in CoL only by the sense cone number on antennal segments III and IV. Mesandrothrips View in CoL has three and four sense cones on segments III and IV respectively, whereas Xylaplothrips View in CoL has two on each of III and IV. However, Xylaplothrips fuliginosus View in CoL , the type of the genus, and its relatives share the prothoracic anteromarginal setae reduced and the fore tarsus with an apical tooth. Considering the interspecific as well as intraspecific variations among some genera included in the Haplothripini mentioned above, these two genera may be more closely related than assumed in previous taxonomy.

The genus Glenothrips ( Priesner 1921) was established for a single species, biuncinatus , taken from leaf galls on Conocephalus and Schefflera in Java, Indonesia. But this genus is very similar to Mesandrothrips , and these two could possibly be treated as a single genus. However, biuncinatus has the fore tibia with a small inner sub-apical tooth in both sexes (see Fig. 112 View FIGURES 112–118 in Dang et al. 2014: 53). This inner sub-apical tooth on the fore tibia is very similar to the fore tibial sub-apical scale found in Androthrips species, and this is another indication of the close relation between Androthrips and Mesandrothrips .

Generic definition. Macroptera (microptera not found so far). Head longer than wide, with a pair of postocular setae. Eyes and ocelli well developed; interocellar and postocellar setae minute. Antenna 8-segmented; segments VIII and VII well separated; segments III with three (1+2), segment IV with four (2+2 +1) sense cones. Mouth cone rounded; maxillary stylets reaching postocular setae, wider apart, V-shaped or narrowly V-shaped; maxillary bridge distinct, situated far from base of head, wider than one-third of head width. Prothoracic four pairs of major setae developed, am reduced; notopleural suture complete. Prosternal basantra and ferna moderately developed, but size of basantra variable; prospinasternum usually rather small; mesopresternum reduced medially, anterior margin arched, narrowly boat-shaped or divided. Metathoracic sternopleural sutures absent. Fore tarsus with an apical tooth. Fore wings weakly narrowed at middle, with duplicated cilia. Abdominal tergites II–VII each with two pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae. Tube variable in length, tapering and straight-sided. Terminal setae variable in length, at most 1.5 times as long as tube. Males do not show allometric growth and have no pore plate on sternite VIII.

Species included in Mesandrothrips