Mesandrothrips subterraneus (Crawford)

Mesandrothrips subterraneus (Crawford) View in CoL

Haplothrips (Xylaplothrips) subterraneus Crawford, 1938: 41–43 View in CoL .

Trichothrips liliorus Kurosawa, 1938: 154–156 View in CoL .

This species was described from England, and its synonym, Trichothrips liliorus View in CoL , was described from Japan in the same year. Although, most of the congeners have been known from the tropics and subtropics of Southeast Asia, subterraneus View in CoL has been known from the temperate regions of the Palearctic. According to Kurosawa (1938 & 1968), this species occurs under scales of lily bulb together with Liothrips vaneeckei View in CoL , and seems to be a predator of L. vaneeckei View in CoL . These lily thrips have somewhat isolated distribution, Europe ( England and Netherlands) and East Asia ( China, Korea and Japan). This distribution is probably due to the fact that the lily bulbs are widely distributed as edibles or ornamental plants. These edible and ornamental lilies probably originate in East Asia, including Japan, and therefore it is likely that both L. vaneeckei View in CoL and M. subterraneus View in CoL are also East Asian in origin.

This species has rather long postocular setae which are longer than the eyes, but other generic futures are shared with congeners. Two females listed below under the doubtful specimens from Tochigi, Japan, were taken from Pinus ( Pinaceae ) and Glycine ( Fabaceae ), not Lilium , have somewhat wider maxillary bridges, but are indistinguishable from subterraneus in other structures.

Specimens examined. Netherlands, 1 female and 1 male . Japan (Hokkaido, Honshu ), several females and males, Hokkaido, lily bulbs, 7.xii. 1937 ( NIAES) .

Doubtful specimens. Japan, Tochigi, Ichikai-machi, Sugiyama , 1 female, on Pinus thunbergia , 5.xi.2020, 1 female on Glycine soja , 20.x.2022, SO .