Veerabahuthrips Ramakrishna

(Figs 92, 93)

Veerabahuthrips Ramakrishna, 1932: 277 . Type species: Veerabahuthrips bambusae Ramakrishna, by monotypy.

Mychiothrips Haga & Okajima, 1979: 266 . Type species: Mychiothrips fruticola Haga & Okajima, by monotypy. Syn.n.

Until now, this genus has comprised six Asian species that live on bamboo. One was described from India, four from Thailand of which one is recorded from Fujian, China, and the sixth from Malaysia (Okajima 1993). Mychiothrips was described from Japan for a single species that also was taken from bamboo and, despite sharing a wide range of character states with Veerabahuthrips, it was distinguished by the longer antennae, fore tibiae and postocular setae. Subsequently Okajima (1993) described a second species in Mychiothrips, but provided no further differences between the genera, concluding that they are “closely related”. In this study, specimens of both species of Mychiothrips have been examined and compared with specimens of Veerabahuthrips exilis and simplex (Fig. 93), together with the descriptions of the other members of this genus. We suggest that the recorded differences between the two genera are essentially related to body size, the two species described in Mychiothrips being distinctly larger (body length 2.5mm or more) than the six species described in Veerabahuthrips (body length 2.0mm or less). Since all eight species live on bamboo plants, we consider that these thrips comprise a single radiation and thus place Mychiothrips as a synonym. A further species of this genus has been seen from Yunnan, China.

Diagnosis: Head much longer than wide (Figs 92, 93), slightly or strongly produced in front of eyes, cheeks usually incut just behind eyes; eyes normal, postocular setae well-developed or short; stylets short, restricted to mouth-cone, V-shaped; antennae 8-segmented, III with 2 sensoria, IV usually with 3, sometimes 2; pronotum with 3 pairs of major setae, am and aa minute, ml sometimes reduced, notopleural sutures complete; basantra absent; mesopresternum transverse; sternopleural sutures absent; fore tarsal tooth present in both sexes, fore tibiae sometimes with some irregular tubercles on inner margin, fore femur with one or more teeth on apical half of inner margin (Figs 92, 93); fore wings weakly constricted medially, with duplicated cilia; pelta triangular or hat-shaped; tergites II–VII with 2 pairs of wing-retaining setae; tube with straight sides, much shorter than head, anal setae a little longer than tube; male sternite VIII without pore plate.