Aleurodothrips Franklin

(Figs 21, 22)

Aleurodothrips Franklin, 1909: 228 . Type species: Cryptothrips fasciapennis Franklin, by monotypy.

The only species in this genus is widespread around the tropics and sub-tropics, including Southern China, and is a predator of whitefly and scale insects (Palmer & Mound 1991). The head is unusual (Bhatti 1998) in that ventrally the labro-maxillary complex is fused with the cranium.

Diagnosis: Head slightly produced in front of eyes (Fig. 21); eyes normal, postocular setae minute; stylets long and wide apart; antennae 8-segmented, III with 1 sensorium, IV with 2; pronotum with aa and epim setae developed, notopleural sutures vestigial; basantra present; mesopresternum transverse; sternopleural sutures absent; male with fore tarsal tooth and a tooth on inner margin of fore femur, female fore legs unarmed; fore wings with three brown bands, without duplicated cilia; pelta weak; tergites II–VII with 1 pair of wing-retaining setae; male tergite IX with S2 long (Fig. 22); tube with straight sides, shorter than head.