J. S. Bhatti

The classification of Terebrantia (Insecta) into families

Abstract The Order Terebrantia is now reorganized into 28 families in 6 superfamilies, indicating the phyletic lineages of the various groups. Interpretation of their phylogenetic relationships is beyond the scope of the present study since that would require, at first, generation of massive data to bring out the numerous structural peculiarities of many taxa of these insects. New highly conserved structures in the body architecture of these insects provide the basis of the new interpretation of their taxonomy. Besides the currently recognized 8 families in Terebrantia, seven new family names are proposed: Aulacothripidae, Caliothripidae, Chirothripidae, Euceratothripidae, Parthenothripidae, Projectothripidae, Retithripidae. Nine currently used family group names are elevated to the rank of family: Cycadothripidae, Dactuliothripidae, Franklinothripidae, Indothripidae, Mymarothripidae, Orothripidae, Dendrothripidae, Panchaetothripidae, Sericothripidae. Four family group names are recalled from synonymy and are treated as families: Chirothripidae, Erotidothripidae, Heliothripidae, Tryphactothripidae. A key to the families is given.

A preliminary revision of Sericothrips Haliday, sensu lat., and related genera, with a revised concept of the tribe Sericothripini (Thysanoptera : Thripidae)

Abstract Sericothrips and its relatives are reinterpreted and diagnosed, treating 43 nominal species, including 7 new species, based upon a study of several morphological characters whose importance in the taxonomy of this group had not been recognised hitherto. These include the structure of thoracic sterna and tegula, the structure and chaetotaxy of abdomen, etc. A systematic method is proposed for the study of chaetotaxy of abdominal terga. The number and arrangement of setae on terga I to VII can be represented by a convenient formula. Five new genera, two new subgenera, and seven new species are described. Generic reassignments are proposed for 28 species. Sericothrips Haliday is restricted to five species. Hydatothrips Karny is taken back from synonymy, and 13 species are included. S. occipitalis Hood is synonymised under H. adolfifriderici Karny, and graminis Anan. is synonymised under H. ramaswamiahi (Priesner). Four sections are defined to include species of Hydatothrips. The Indian species are r...

Revision Of Trichromothrips and related genera (Terebrantia: Thripidae)

Abstract The genus Trichromothrips Priesner, 1930 is distributed worldwide, although species diversification has taken place predominantly in South Asia. Its taxonomy is discussed, and the genus is redescribed. 27 species, segregated into 10 sections, are included. It is closely related to Laplothrips Bhatti, 1972 and also has affinities with Neocorynothrips Ram. & Marg., 1939. A key to the species of these three genera is provided. Cricothrips Trybom, 1912 at first sight looks strikingly similar to species of Trichromothrips in the structure and chaetotaxy of body. But closer scrutiny reveals that it is separable by the presence of mesothoracic sternopleural sutures, longitudinally split tergum X of female, 2 pairs of campaniform sensilla on abdominal tergum DC, and with male having antennal segments IV to VI enlarged and with more numerous long setae, and lacking gland areas on abdominal sterna. The genus Diarthrothrips Williams, 1915 is also compared. The character of facetal pigmentation on the venter of eye, previously known in only 5 species of the genus, is now reported for the first time in 10 species of Trichromothrips and in 5 species belonging to the genera Laplothrips, Neocorynothrips, Cricothrips, and Diarthrothrips. Facetal pigmentation has now been found in 2 species of Trichromothrips, but is absent in 13 species; the condition in 12 species needs to be ascertained. The male genitalia in Trichromothrips are described for the first time, including the hypophallus and sketches of the membranous phallus in three species. The biology of the aquatic species Trichromothrips billeni (zur Strassen, 1995), living together with Pteridothrips pteridicola (Karny, 1914), is discussed. The two species breed underwater in leaf tubes produced by them on the water fern Microsorum pteropus in Java (Indonesia).

The genus Organothrips (thysanoptera : Thripidae)

Abstract The genus Organothrips Hood and its type-species blanchii Hood are recharacterised. A new species O. Indicus is described from India and a key is provided to separato the two specics. It is also suggested that the W. German populations of Organothrlps reported as blanchil by Titschack probably represent a different spccies.

The male genitalia of Anaphothrips sudanensis Trybom (Terebrantia: Thripidae)

Abstract The male genitalia of the widely distributed cereal pest Anaphothrips sudanensis Trybom (Terebrantia: Thripidae) are described and compared with their structure reported earlier. The earlier report seemingly depicts genitalia that are not fully distended or are partially shrunken, so that the structures are not clearly seen. Contrary to some suggestions, there is at present no reason to consider the possibility that more than one species is involved. The method used by the author for studying the phallic structures in Terebrantia is described.

Discovery of the natural habitat of the aquatic thysanopteran, Organothrips indicus (Terebrantia: Thripidae) in India and North America

Abstract Organothrips indicus Bhatti passes its life cycle under water. So far the species was known from stray specimens from India, Bangladesh, and Thailand, and in warmed aquaria for tropical ornamental fishes in Germany on an exotic aquarium plant Cryptocoryne sp., on which it was breeding under water. O. indicus is now reported from Dehra Dun (north India) on Typha and from 3 counties in Florida (USA) on Typha and Eichhornia crassipes. In India it was found living underwater in the slimy secretion of the widely distributed North Indian marsh plant Typha elephantina, where adults of both sexes and immatures were found. Specimens have also been taken in quarantine on taro from Hong Kong. The species can tolerate a wide range of temperature. O. indicus is likely to be found wherever its host plants Typha and Cryptocoryne are distributed.

Some new Indian thripidae (Thysanoptera)

Abstract Two new genera and species, Ednathrips pardus and Smilothrips productus, and a new species Ctenothrips smilax, are described from India. Ctenothrips is noted from the Indian region for the first time.

Identification of the urothripid Baenothrips asper (Bournier, 1963) (Tubulifera: Urothripidae)

Abstract Baenothrips asper (Bournier, 1963), originally described from Angola, was subsequently reported from India and Taiwan. The identity of the Indian and the Taiwanese species with asper is doubtful, at least the Indian specimens seen by me are not conspecific with asper. Interpretation of the identity of the Asian material is complicated by the fact that specimens from Asia and Africa belong to different morphs. The Angolan material consists of macropterae, whereas the Indian and Taiwanese material reported in literature as asper comprised apterae. In the light of the discovery of many previously unknown structural landmarks in the Tubuliferan body architecture (Bhatti, 1998a-d), in order to enable the identification of asper and interpretation of the Asian populations, I here provide important structural details of asper based on a paratype female from Angola. At present it is best to restrict the name asper to the original African material. I suggest that the Indian material consists of at least two different species, which are not identical with asper. Further characters of Baenothrips moundi from Australia, B. ryukyuensis from Japan, and minutus from India are given to enable a better understanding of the structure and variation in species of Baenothrips. Sexual dimorphism in the number of long anterior head setae is noted in four species, erythrinus, minutus, moundi, and ryukyuensis, there being 3 pairs in female and two pairs in male. There are only two pairs of prominent anterior head setae in both sexes of indicus. The structure of ovipositor is described in Baenothrips moundi and ryukyuensis. The shape of subgenital plate differs in the two species, it is notched at middle in the former but not in the latter. These and many other structures are now used for the first time for species characterization in members of the Order Tubulifera.

The European and North American greenhouse pest Leucothrips nigripennis Reuter, the fern thrips (Terebrantia: Thripidae), lives outdoors in India

The European and North American greenhouse pest Leucothrips nigripennis Reuter 1904 is now found to live outdoors in India. The nominal species Sporangiothrips acuminatus Daniel 1985 from South India is here recognized as a junior synonym (syn. nov.) of nigripennis, the type species of Leucothrips. The genus Sporangiothrips Daniel 1985 is an objective synonym (syn. nov.) of Leucothrips Reuter 1904. The so far known existence of the species in hothouses in temperate zones in Europe and North America thus owes its origin to natural populations in South Asia. The south Indian area of Coonoor (near Ootacamund) and Kodaikanal could have been the centre of dissemination of the species by human commerce. L. nigripennis was so far very poorly known and, being the type species of Leucothrips, the genus too is very unsatisfactorily understood. As the oldest described genus among the group of 3 closely related and unsatisfactorily differentiated genera in the subfamily Dendrothripinae, an understanding of Leucothrip...

A Revision Of Exothrips Priesner And Two Related Genera (Thysanoptera : Thripidae)

Abstract The Perissothrips complex is defined to include four genera, which are separated by a key. The structure of the phallic complex diagnostic to members of this group has been elaborated along with variation within the group. Three of the genera, Amalothrips, Exothrips and Parexothrips, are revised. Seventeen species are included in Exothrips, including six new species. Anaphothrips sacchari Moulton 1936 and A. Pannonicus Priesner 1924 are transferred to Exothrips- Exothrips sacchari (Shumser 1942) is not recognisable at present, although might possibly be conspeciftc with redox, sp. nov. Structural peculiarities of Exothrips species, including trends in sexual dimorphism, are discussed, and a key is provided for separating the Asiatic species. Parexothrips tenellus, known from Egypt, is reported for the first time from India based upon a good series of specimens, and a new species P, capitis is described from India.