Neandrothrips, Okajima & Masumoto, 2025

Neandrothrips gen. nov.

Generic definition. Head variable in shape, usually longer than wide, often almost as long as wide, with a pair of postocular setae. Eyes and ocelli moderately developed; interocellar and postocellar setae minute. Antenna 8- segmented; segments VIII and VII well separated; segment III with two (1+1) or three (1+2), but rarely with one (0+1), segment IV with two (1+1), three (1+2) or four (2+2) major sense cones. Mouth cone rounded; maxillary stylets reaching postocular setae or eyes, wider apart or rather close together; maxillary bridge variable. Prothoracic five pairs of major setae developed, but often am reduced; notopleural suture complete. Prosternal basantra and ferna moderately developed; prospinasternum variable; mesopresternum complete or reduced medially. Metathoracic sternopleural sutures absent. Fore tarsus with a lateral tooth, but often unarmed; fore femur usually unarmed, rarely armed with inner small tubercle(s). Fore wings weakly narrowed at middle, with duplicated cilia. Abdominal tergites II–VII each with two pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae. Tube longer than half of head length, tapering and straight-sided. Terminal setae variable in length. Males usually show allometric growth and with no pore plate on sternite VIII.

Type-species. Neandrothrips pictipes (Bagnall) comb. nov.

Comments. This genus can easily be distinguished from Mesandrothrips by the fore tarsus with a lateral tooth (but absent in inermis species-group). The prothoracic anteromarginal setae usually well developed, rarely reduced, though they are always reduced in Mesandrothrips . Moreover, almost all Mesandrothrips species are usually found from leaf galls or leaves association with other thrips species and seem to be predators, though the majority of Neandrothrips species are collected from dead plants ( Table 1) and seem to be fungus-feeders. However, the details of their feeding behaviors are uncertain until now, and require further observations. Although, Mesandrothrips is closely related to both Androthrips and Karnyothrips , which also seem to be predators, Neandrothrips is possibly not so closely related to them. Furthermore, Neandrothrips species usually exhibit extreme allometric growth in males, whereas Mesandrothrips do not show this variation, as indicated above.

There may be about 40 species in this genus, of which 28 species are known from eastern Asia. Those Asian species can be classified into three species-groups, bamboosae -group, inermis -group and pictipes -group. The bamboosae -group has the mesopresternum reduced medially, maxillary stylets rather close together, maxillary bridge usually situated far from base of head and narrower than one-quarter of head width in female and the fore tarsus with a lateral tooth. The inermis -group has the mesopresternum complete, maxillary stylets rather wider apart, V-shaped, maxillary bridge usually situated around the postoccipital ridge and wider than one-third of head width in female, and the fore tarsus unarmed. The pictipes -group has the mesopresternum complete, maxillary stylets more or less wider apart, V-shaped, maxillary bridge usually situated around the postoccipital ridge and wider than one-third of head width in female, and the fore tarsus with a lateral tooth. The presence of fore tarsal lateral tooth is shared by bamboosae - and pictipes -groups, and the complete mesopresternum and wider maxillary bridge are shared by inermis - and pictipes -groups. Moreover, most species of bamboosae -group have the mesopresternum reduced medially, whereas a species, N. simulans sp. nov., has this slightly thicker at middle ( Fig. 268 View FIGURES 265–274 ). In this way, it can be divided by a combination of several characteristics, but it is unlikely that it is so different that it can be divided into genera. In addition, some species distributed in India and Australia exhibit intermediate characteristics between these species-groups. For instance, N. lamingtoni comb. nov. from Australia and N. ligs comb. nov. from India are somewhat similar to the species included in the pictipes -group, but has the mesopresternum reduced medially.

Species transferred from Mesandrothrips and Xylaplothrips

[Most of these nomenclatural changes are based on the published descriptions]