
Moderately large, dark, macropterous Phlaeothripinae; major body setae shaded with hyaline, broadly knobbed tips; fore wing uniformly pale, including base, sub-basal setae completely translucent. Head longer than wide, genae slightly concave, with very small tooth behind eyes and small lateral setae; vertex transversely striate; postocular setae far behind compound eyes, two-thirds as long as distance from eye margin, with knobbed tips; mouth-cone short and rounded; maxillary stylets not retracted into head capsule to level of postocular setae, about 0.2 of head width apart, with a distinct maxillary bridge. Antennae 8-segmented; segment III with one outer sense cone, IV with 3 sense cones; VIII slightly constricted at base. Pronotum transverse, with five pairs of long setae; notopleural sutures complete. Prosternal basantra absent; ferna large and transversely oval; mesopresternum transverse, boat-shaped, extending forwards medially; metathoracic sternopleural sutures not developed. Mesonotum transversally sculptured with coarse reticulation; metanotum longitudinally striate. Fore tarsal tooth small but present in both sexes. Fore wings parallel sided but broad distally, marginal cilia closely spaced and short around wing tip, without duplicated cilia. Pelta triangular; sculptured with coarse reticulation; tergites II–VII each with two pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae; tergite IX setae S1–S3 long with weakly knobbed tips. Male sternite VIII apparently without pore plate; tergite IX setae S2 shorter than S1 but not spine-like.
A member of the Liothrips-lineage, this genus is presumably closely related to Gynaikothrips, an Asian genus of gall-inducing species. From members of that genus the single species placed in Megeugynothrips differs in lacking fore wing duplicated cilia., a condition also shared with Acaciothrips.
The only species in this genus induces leaf galls on Balanites aegyptiaca [Zygophylaceae], a tree that is common and widespread across the Sahel-Saharan region of northeast Africa and the Arabian Peninsular.
This thrips is recorded only from southern Egypt and northern Sudan, but is probably more widespread.
Megeugynothrips Priesner, 1930: 212. Type species Megeugynothrips efflatouni Priesner, 1930, by monotypy.
Just one species is placed in this genus (ThripsWiki, 2023).
Euro-Mediterranean species
Megeugynothrips efflatouni Priesner, 1930
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]