Praepodothrips Priesner & Seshadri

(Figs 125, 140)

Praepodothrips Priesner & Seshadri, 1952: 407 . Type species: Praepodothrips indicus Priesner & Seshadri, by monotypy.

This genus of Haplothripini comprises seven species from tropical Asia that live on Poaceae . Two were described from China, one from the Philippines, and the others from India. Little is known about their biology, and the genus as currently used is not satisfactorily defined. Reyes (1994) stated that P. causiapeltus from the Phillipines has only two sensoria on antennal segment IV, but the holotype female and one paratype male (in ANIC) both have three sensoria on antennal segment III and four on IV. The type species, P. indicus, has two sensoria on each of these segments.

Diagnosis: Head slightly longer than wide (Fig. 125); eyes normal, postocular setae well-developed; stylets retracted to one third of head length, wide apart, with maxillary bridge; antennae 8-segmented, III with 2 or 3 sensoria, IV with 2 or 3 or 4; pronotum with 4 pairs of capitate setae, am reduced, notopleural sutures complete; basantra present; mesopresternum transverse; sternopleural sutures present; fore tarsal tooth present in both sexes; fore wings constricted medially, with duplicated cilia; pelta hat-shaped; tergites II–VII with 2 pairs of wing-retaining setae; tube shorter than head, anal setae much longer than tube (Fig. 140); male sternite VIII without pore plate.