Generic diagnosis

Female macropterous. Head wider than long, smaller than pronotum; maxillary palps 3-segmented; eyes large, without pigmented facets; ocellar setae I present; setae II and III small; five pairs of postocular setae arranged in single row. Antennae 8-segmented; segment I with paired dorso-apical setae; II–VI with many microtrichial rows on both surfaces, III and IV with sense-cones forked, short and stout; sense-cones on V and VI with base elongate; VIII very long, with minute microtrichia. Pronotum wider than long; one to three pairs of posteroangular setae; three or four pairs of posteromarginal. Mesonotum with closely spaced transverse striae; median pair of setae far from posterior margin; campaniform sensilla present anteromedially. Metascutum with closely spaced longitudinal striae; median pair of setae situated at anterior margin, wide apart and close to lateral setae; widely separated campaniform sensilla present. Prosternal ferna not divided; basantra membranous, without setae. Mesosternum with sternopleural sutures reaching anterior margin; endofurca with spinula. Metasternal endofurca with or without spinula. Fore wing first vein without long gap in setal row; second vein with many evenly spaced setae; clavus with six to nine veinal and one discal setae; posteromarginal fringe cilia wavy. Tarsi 2-segmented. Tergites without ctenidia or craspeda; II–VIII with numerous ciliate microtrichia on lateral sculpture lines; IX with two pairs of campaniform sensilla; X with median split almost complete. Sternites II–VII with 12–14 posteromarginal setae, with many ciliate microtrichia at least laterally.
Male similar to female; tergites with fewer microtrichia than female; sternites II–VII with three pairs of posteromarginal setae; sternites III–VI or VII each with oblong pore plate.

Biological data

The members of this genus all breed in the flowers of screw-pines, Pandanus species [Pandanaceae].

Distribution data

Various species of this genus are reported between India, northern Australia and islands of the Pacific Ocean.

Nomenclatural data

Projectothrips Moulton, 1929: 95. Type species Projectothrips pruthii Moulton, 1929, by monotypy.

Nine species are included in this genus (ThripsWiki, 2020), with two recorded from southern China:

imitans (Priesner, 1935: 127). (Docidothrips)
longicornis (Zhang, 1981: 324). (Taeniothrips)

Relationship data

Thripidae sub-family Thripinae: this is a diverse group involving more than 230 genera. Bhatti (2006) erected a family for this single genus, because of the presence of some distinctive autapomorphies, including the long terminal antennal segment bearing microtrichia, and the presence on the outer edge of the male paramere of some microsetae. However, placing this genus in a separate family provides no information about its relationships, and it is here considered an aberrant member of Thripinae with a unique host association.

References

Bhatti JS (2006) The classification of Terebrantia (Insecta) into families. Oriental Insects 40: 339–375.

Mound LA & Tree DJ (2011) New records and four new species of Australian Thripidae (Thysanoptera) emphasise faunal relationships between northern Australia and Asia. Zootaxa 2764: 35–48.

ThripsWiki (2020). ThripsWiki - providing information on the World's thrips. <http://thrips.info/wiki/Main_Page>