
elegans Head
elegans Pronotum
elegans Metanotum & pelta
elegans Tergite III
elegans Antennal sgments III-V
Large, dark, macropterous, elongate Phlaeothripinae with multiple pairs of tergal wing-retaining setae. Head much longer than wide, ocellar region emergent, eyes bulging; no long postocular setae but vertex with a few prominent setae; genae with stout setae. Mouth-cone short, maxillary stylets not deeply retracted, about one fifth of head width apart, no maxillary bridge. Antennae long and slender, 8-segmented, III with one sense cone, IV with 3; VIII not constricted at base. Pronotum irregularly reticulate, notopleural sutures usually complete; major setae varying in number between species (anterior margin of elegans with many small setae); epimeral setae well-developed. Prosternal basantra absent or weakly developed; ferna transverse; mesopresternum complete; metathoracic sternopleural sutures absent. Metanotum longtitudinally striate/reticulate; median setae not long. Fore tarsal tooth absent or very small. Fore wings broad, parallel sided, with numerous duplicated cilia. Pelta triangular; tergites II‒IV each with two pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae, plus several pairs of sigmoid or straight accessory wing-retaining setae; tergal posteroangular setae short and stout; tergite IX setae much shorter than tube; tube longer than head, anal setae short. Male tergite IX setae S2 short and stout; sternite VIII fully occupied by large pore plate.
A member of the Liothrips-lineage of leaf-feeding Phlaeothripinae, this genus is closely related to Gynaikothrips in which the species are known as gall-inducers in tropical Asia.
The members of this genus are commonly associated with the green tissues of Ficus trees, and G. afer is recorded from rolled leaves of Ficus natalensis and F. petersii (= thonngii).
All but one of the members of this genus are from the Old World tropics, the exception being one from Mexico that is probably not congeneric. The single species listed here was described from Sudan, at Beda between Khartoum and Wad Medani, but has also been recorded from various sites further south in tropical Africa (Priesner, 1965).
Gigantothrips Zimmermann, 1900: 18. Type species Gigantothrips elegans Zimmermann, 1900, by monotypy.
There are 22 species listed in this genus (ThripsWiki, 2023).
Euro-Mediterranean species
Gigantothrips afer (Priesner, 1925)
Priesner, H (1965) A monograph of the Thysanoptera of the Egyptian deserts. Publications de l’Institut Desert d’Egypte 13: 1–549. [Published in 1965, the front cover of the volume bears the date 1960 whereas the back cover indicates 1964. The manuscript went to the publisher on 1st October 1951 - teste Herman Priesner to Laurence Mound at Linz, Austria, in 1966]
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