Re-Description and Illustration of Two Species of the Genus Parabaliothrips Priesner, 1935 (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), with Report of New Host Plant

Qingling Hu1,2

1Key Laboratory for Ecology and Environment of River Wetlands in Shaanxi Province, Weinan, Shaanxi 714000, China

2College of Chemistry and Environment, Weinan Normal University, Weinan, Shaanxi 714000, China

ABSTRACT

Two species of the genus Parabaliothrips Priesner 1935 (P. coluckus and P. takahashii) are re-described and illustrated in detail based on specimens collected from South China. A checklist of the known species in this genus is provided. New host plant of the genus is discovered. New distinguishing characters between the two species are proposed. Specimens examined are deposited in the Entomological Museum, Northwest A&F University.

Article Information

Received 18 November 2018

Revised 20 December 2018

Accepted 30 January 2019

Available online 30 May 2019

Key words

Thripinae, Parabaliothrips, Host plant, Alnus cremastogyne, Distinguishing character.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17582/journal.pjz/2019.51.4.sc3

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

0030-9923/2019/0004-1583 $ 9.00/0

Copyright 2019 Zoological Society of Pakistan

Parabaliothrips is a small genus of Thripidae, which was erected by Priesner in 1935 with P. takahashii as its type species. It is a member of the Frankliniella genus-group on the basis of the following combinations: presence of 3 pairs of ocellar setae, complete row of setae on both veins of forewing, lack of sternal discal setae, and presence of tergal ctenidia laterally (Gillespie et al., 2002). Up to now, 6 species have been reported in this genus (Kudo, 1977; Girault, 1927; Karny, 1920; Priesner, 1935). Of these 6 species, P. takahashii, P. coluckus, and P. grandiceps from south-east Asia; P. montanus, P. newmani and P. setifer from Australia and New Zealand. Species of this genus had been assumed that they were probably flower living, like many other Thripidae (Gillespie et al., 2002).

In the present paper, two species of the genus Parabaliothrips Priesner 1935 (P. coluckus and P. takahashii) are redescribed and illustrated in detail based on specimens collected from South China. A checklist of the known species in this genus is provided. New host plant of the genus is discovered. New distinguishing characters between the two species are proposed. Specimens examined are deposited in the Entomological Museum of Northwest A&F University (NWAFU), Yangling, Shaanxi, China.

 

Material and methods

Preserved slide specimens were used in this study. Slides were prepared following the method of Zhang et al. (2006). Specimens were observed with the help of an EVOS digital inverted microscope; photographs were taken using a Nikon Y-IDT microscope with a Q-image CCD; images were produced using the software Synoptic Automontage.

Parabaliothrips Priesner, 1935

Parabaliothrips, Priesner (1935)

Yehiella, Chen (1976); syn. Bhatti (1990)

Krasibothrips, Kudo (1977); syn. Bhatti (1979)

Type species

Parabaliothrips takahashii Priesner (Formosa) designated from two species.

Checklist to species of Parabaliothrips worldwide

Parabaliothrips coluckus, Kudo (1977)

Parabaliothrips grandiceps, Priesner (1935)

Parabaliothrips montanus, Girault (1927)

Parabaliothrips newmani, Gillespie et al. (2002)

Parabaliothrips setifer, Karny (1920)

Parabaliothrips takahashii, Priesner (1935)

Parabaliothrips colockus (Kudo, 1997) (Fig. 1)

Parabaliothrips coluckus, Kudo (1977); syn. Bhatti (1979)

Krasibothrips coluckus, Kudo (1977)

 

Description

Female

Body color brown, length 1.3 mm. Antennal segments I-II brown, III-VIII yellow. Forewings with basal 1/4 and distal 1/10 yellow, other parts brown. Femora and tibiae brown, distal part of fore tibiae lighter, tarsi yellow.

Head: Head longer than wide. Cheeks nearly straight. 3 pairs of ocellar setae present, both pair I and II located in front of fore ocellus. Pair III exceptionally long, placed on the ligature of the outer margin of hind ocelli. Postocular setae i and iii small, ii and iv much longer. Areas behind eyes with transverse lines. Antennae 8-segmented, III and IV with small sense cones forked.

Thorax: Pronotum with wider than long, nearly smooth, without striae and discal setae except the setae around. 2 pairs of anteromarginal setae present, median pair much longer than the other pair. 2 pairs of anteroangular setae, inner pair longer than outer pair. 2 pairs of long setae at posterior angle. 4 pairs of postero-marginal setae, S1 longer than others. Mesonotum with transverse lines of sculpture unclear, MD setae nearly on the posterior margin. Metanotum with longitudinal lines on lateral sides, other parts smooth. Median setae and sub-median setae all located on the antero-marginal setae. Campaniform sensilla absent. Both meso- and metasternum without spinula. Forewing with 16 anteromarginal setae, first vein with complete setal row, about 13-15, second vein with 11-13 setae.

Abdomen: Tergite I with clear transverse striae, II-VIII with transverse reticulations on two lateral sides, but longitudinal lines are obscure. S2 on tergites IV-VII and S4 on VI-VII small. Posterior comb on tergite VIII sparse but complete. Sternites without discal setae. 3 pairs of postero-marginal setae present on sternites III-VII, all located at the posterior margin.

Male

Length about 1.1 to 1.2 mm. Abdominal sternites III-VII with dumbbell-shaped sternal glands, which length about 1/4 of the length of the sternites.

Host plant

Evergreen Quercus (Fagaceae) (Kudo, 1977); Alnus cremastogyne (Betulaceae), “qimushu”.

 

Distribution

China (Yunnan, Guangdong, Fujian), Nepal, Malayasia.

Material examined

10♀♀10♂♂, Mt. Cang, Dali, Yunan Province, 2124m, 8-VI-2011, Qingling Hu Collected from leaves of Alnus cremastogyne; 2♀♀1♂, Zhina Town, Yunnan Province, 1086m, 3-VI-2011, Qingling Hu collected from leaves of “qimushu”.

Parabaliothrips takahashii Priesner, 1935

(Fig. 2)

Parabaliothrips takahashii, Priesner (1935)

Description

Female

Body color brown, length 1.4 mm. Antennal segments I-II brown, III-VIII yellow. Forewings with basal 1/4 and distal 1/4 yellow, median 1/2 brown. Femora and tibiae brown, distal part of fore tibiae lighter, tarsi yellow.

Head: Head longer than wide. Cheeks straight, not serrated. 3 pairs of ocellar setae present, both pair I and II located far ahead of fore ocellus. Pair III exceptionally long, placed on the ligature of the outer margin of hind ocelli. Postocular setae i and iii small, ii and iv much longer. Areas behind eyes with transverse lines. Antennae 8-segmented, III and IV with small sense cones forked.

Thorax: Pronotum with wider than long, nearly smooth, without striae and discal setae except the setae around. 2 pairs of anteromarginal setae present, median pair much longer than the other pair. 2 pairs of anteroangular setae, inner pair longer than outer pair. 2 pairs of long setae at posterior angle. 4 pairs of postero-marginal setae, S1 longer than others. Mesonotum with transverse lines of sculpture unclear, MD setae nearly on the posterior margin. Metanotum with longitudinal lines on lateral sides, other parts smooth. Median setae and sub-median setae all located on the antero-marginal setae. Campaniform sensilla absent. Both meso- and metasternum without spinula. Forewing with 16-17 anteromarginal setae, first vein with complete setal row, about 14-15, second vein with 12 setae.

Abdomen: Tergite I with clear transverse striae, II-VIII with transverse reticulations on two lateral sides, but longitudinal lines are obscure. S2 on tergites V-VIII and S4 on VI-VII small. Posterior comb on tergite VIII sparse but complete. Sternites without discal setae. 3 pairs of postero-marginal setae present on sternites III-VII, all located at the posterior margin.

Male

Length about 1.0 to 1.1 mm. Abdominal sternites III-VII with dumbbell-shaped sternal glands, which length about 1/2 of the length of the sternites.

Host plant

Liquidambar formosana (Hamamelidaceae) (Chen, 1976); Castanea mollissima (Fagaceae).

Distribution

China (Sichuan, Guizhou, Taiwan).

Material examined

2♀♀1♂, Hailuogou, Luding, Sichuan Province, 2400m, 1-VIII-2009, Xiaowei Li collected by sweeping nets from grass; 2♀♀4♂♂, Wudongcun, Mt. Leigong, Guizhou Province, 1276m, 2-VIII-2009, Xiaowei Li collected by sweeping nets from grass; 7♂♂, Mt. Zhougong, Sichuan Province, 1000m, 28-VII-2009, Xiaowei Li collected from leaves of Castanea mollissima.

 

Discussion

Species of this genus had been assumed that they were probably flower living, like many other Thripidae. Gillespie et al. (2002) gave evidence for proving the members of this genus live on leaves rather than in flowers. When collecting thrips in South China in the last few years, we collected P. coluckus from the leaves of Alnus cremastogyne (Betulaceae) and a kind of plant called “qimushu” by the local residents, P. takahashii from the leaves of Castanea mollissima (Fagaceae). In general, only when larvae and adults are found on a plant that we consider it as the host plant of the thrips species, but this usually occurs on short and small plants. The thrips we disscussed here were collected from trees more than ten meters high, and when we found the existence of thrips in this tree, we swept leaves of the tree more than one times, and the specimens were collected every time even few in number which may lead to no catching of larvae. Considering the limited flying ability of thrips, we considered this plant as the host of of Parabaliothrips species. This agrees with the discovery of Gillespie et al. (2002).

Gillespie et al. (2002) gave a key to species of Parabaliothrips. In this key, he distinguished P. coluckus and P. takahashii by the length of setae on anterior margin of pronotum and the length of ocellar setae I. In this paper, the author proposed new distinguishing characters between the two species: P. coluckus with S2 on abdominal tergites IV-VIII and S4 on VI-VII small (vs. P. takahashii with S2 on abdominal tergites V-VIII and S4 on VI-VII small), male abdominal sternites III-VII with dumbbell-shaped sternal glands, which length about 1/4 of the length of the sternites (vs. P. takahashii with sternal gland much larger, the length of sternal gland is about 1/2 of the length of the sternites).

According to the description and illustration from Gillespie et al. (2002) and the author’s collections, it seems that Parabaliothrips can be separated into Australia group and South-east Asia group by the location of ocellar pair II and the presence or absence of posterior comb on abdominal tergite VIII (Australia group with ocellar pair II located on either side of fore ocellus, and posterior comb on abdominal tergite VIII absent, while South-east Asia group with ocellar pair II far ahead of fore ocellus, and posterior comb on abdominal tergite VIII sparse but absent) (P. montanus unknown).

 

Acknowledgements

This project was supported by the National Science Foundation of China (31272344), the Young Talent Support Program from the Association for Science and Technology of Colleges in Shaanxi Province (20160235), the Scientific Research Project from the Educational Department of Shaanxi Provincial Government (17JS040), and the Special Foundation for Young Scientists of Weinan Normal University in 2018 (18ZRRC11).

 

Statement of conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

 

References

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Gillespie, P.S., Mound, L.A. and Wang, C.L. 2002. Australian J. Ent., 41: 111-117. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-6055.2002.00276.x

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