Generic diagnosis

Small to medium sized, macropterous Phlaeothripinae with long mouth cone. Head longer than wide, ocellar area weakly prominent, vertex transversely striate; genae slightly constricted at base; postocular setae well-developed; eyes large; mouth-cone pointed, extending across prosternum; maxillary stylets retracted to postocular setae, about one third of head width apart, maxillary bridge present. Antennae 8-segmented; segment III with 3 sense cones, IV with 4 sense cones; VIII slightly constricted at base. Pronotum slightly elongate with 5 pairs of major setae; notopleural sutures complete. Prosternal basantra present; mesopresternum eroded medially, usually of two lateral triangles; metathoracic sternopleural sutures absent. Fore tarsal tooth present in both sexes. Fore wings weakly constricted medially, duplicated cilia present. Pelta triangular; tergites II–VII each with two pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae, and often with accessory tergal wing retaining setae; tergite IX setae longer than tube; tube shorter than head. Male tergite IX setae S2 short and stout; sternites without pore plates.

Relationships

This genus is a member of the Haplothripini (Mound & Minaei, 2007), with three sense cones on antennal segment III, and well-developed prosternal basantra. The species share many character states with those of Neoheegeria, but have the mouth cone longer and extending across the prosternum.

Biology

Although some members of the genus are associated with the flowers of Macaranga in eastern Asia, D. varipes seems to be associated with foliage and has been taken particularly from Zizyphus.

Distribution

The 21 species listed in this genus are all from the Old World, and a key to 16 of these from tropical areas is available (Mound & Okajima, 2015). The single species listed here was described from southern India, but is widely recorded from Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia and also Cape Verde Islands.

Nomenclature

Dolichothrips Karny, 1912: 299. Type species Dolichothrips longicollis Karny 1912, by monotypy.

There are 21 species listed in this Old World tropical genus (ThripsWiki, 2023).

Euro-Mediterranean species
Dolichothrips varipes Bagnall, 1921

References

Mound LA & Minaei K (2007) Australian insects of the Haplothrips lineage (Thysanoptera – Phlaeothripinae). Journal of Natural History 41: 2919–2978.

Mound LA & Okajima S (2015) Taxonomic Studies on Dolichothrips (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripinae), pollinators of Macaranga trees in Southeast Asia (Euphorbiaceae). Zootaxa 3956 (1): 79–96.

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