Preeriella Hood

(Fig. 91)

Preeriella Hood, 1939: 612 . Type species: Chirothripoides minutus Watson, by original designation.

This genus is a member of the Hyidiothrips group, and includes 20 species, mostly from Africa and South America. However, five species are listed from Southeast Asia, two from Taiwan, one from Thailand and another from Malaysia (Okajima 1998b). A further species was described from Malaysia but is recorded from Thailand and southern China. These are minute thrips that are usually found in leaf litter.

Diagnosis: Minute, usually apterous species; head longer than wide, elevated in mid-line, prolonged in front of eyes (Fig. 91); postocular setae usually well developed and expanded at apex; stylets usually subparallel; antennae 8-segmented, II with campaniform sensilla at the middle, III short and broad, closely joined to IV, with no sensoria, IV large, with 2 sensoria; pronotum usually with 4 major setae, midlaterals sometimes reduced, notopleural sutures incomplete; basantra weakly present; mesopresternum reduced; no sternopleural sutures; fore tarsal tooth absent; fore wings, if developed, without duplicated cilia; pelta divided into several plates; tergites III–VII each with 1 pair of wing-retaining setae in macroptera; tube shorter than head, anal setae usually much longer than tube; male sternite VIII without pore plate.