Ponticulothrips Haga & Okajima

(Fig. 80)

Ponticulothrips Haga & Okajima, 1983: 241 . Type species: Ponticulothrips diospyrosi Haga & Okajima, by monotypy.

The only species in this genus, diospyrosi, is at present known only from Honshu and Kyushu in Japan. However, the host plant, Diospyros kaki, is widely cultivated in China, and this thrips that causes damage to the leaves and fruits is likely to have a wider distribution than currently recorded.

Diagnosis. Head a little longer than wide, cheeks with a pair of stout setae (Fig. 80); eyes normal, postocular setae developed; stylets retracted to postocular setae, wide apart; antennae 8-segmented, III with 1 sensorium, IV with 3; pronotum with 5 pairs of developed setae, notopleural sutures complete; basantra absent; mesopresternum transverse; sternopleural sutures present; fore tarsal tooth present in both sexes; fore wings parallel-sided, with duplicated cilia; pelta bell-shaped; tergites II–VII with 2 pairs of wing-retaining setae; tube shorter than head, anal setae shorter than tube; male sternite VIII without pore plate.