Redescription and lectotype designation of Gynaikothrips microchaetus Ananthakrishnan & Jagadish (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae)

Gynaikothrips microchaetus Ananthakrishnan and Jagadish (1969) was described from Dharwar in Karnataka, and until now has been known only from southern India (Ananthakrishnan & Sen 1980). The original description was based on an unspecified number of syntypes, with no depositary indicated. However, one of the authors (R. Varatharajan) acquired four slides that are labelled by Ananthakrishnan as this species and bear the same collection details as given in the original description. These are assumed to be syntypes, and one female is here designated as lectotype. The other three slides are of males and are considered as paralectotypes. Further, during extensive surveys for thrips at Dampa Tiger Reserve, Mizoram (23.32 0


Gynaikothrips microchaetus
was described from Dharwar in Karnataka, and until now has been known only from southern India (Ananthakrishnan & Sen 1980). The original description was based on an unspecified number of syntypes, with no depositary indicated. However, one of the authors (R. Varatharajan) acquired four slides that are labelled by Ananthakrishnan as this species and bear the same collection details as given in the original description. These are assumed to be syntypes, and one female is here designated as lectotype. The other three slides are of males and are considered as paralectotypes. Further, during extensive surveys for thrips at Dampa Tiger Reserve, Mizoram (23.32 0 N 92.13 0 E) and Manipur University campus (24.82 0 N 93.90 0 E) during 2014-18, we have collected both sexes of this species from the leaves of Ficus curtipes. The freshly collected specimens were mounted onto microscope slides in Canada balsam, and identified using the keys provided by Ananthakrishnan and Sen (1980). Hence, the species is illustrated and re-described with additional features, based on the type material together with freshly collected specimens from north eastern India, Manipur and Mizoram. The following abbreviations are used for pronotal setae: am-anteromarginals; aa-anteroangulars; pa-posteroangulars; ml-midlaterals; po-postocular; epim-epimerals; abdominal tergite IX setae S1, S2 & S3-setal pairs I, II and III respectively (S1 nearest the mid-line).  Female macroptera. Body colour mainly brown; femora brown, tarsi yellow; fore tibiae yellow with small brown area at base, mid and hind tibiae brown with distal one-third yellow; tarsi yellow; antennal segments I-II brown, III-VIII uniformly yellow (Fig. 3); pronotal epimeral setae pale to very weakly shaded. Head longer than wide; with two pairs of slender, pointed, po setae not reaching to compound eyes (Fig. 1); po setae vary in length 16-43 microns, and also vary in position such that they are not always in a simple transverse row; maxillary stylets about one-third of head width apart, retracted to base of postocular setae ( Fig. 1). Antennal segmentation and sense cones typical of genus. Pronotum epimeral setae well developed, apex weakly expanded (Fig. 2), am setae minute (6-15 microns), aa, ml and pa variable in length (10-30 microns); notopleural sutures complete. Fore tarsal tooth small, directed forwards (Fig. 3). Fore wings parallelsided, with 14-20 duplicated cilia. Prosternal basantra absent; mesopresternum boat shaped; metathoracic sternopleural sutures absent. Pelta triangular (Fig. 4); tergites II-VII with 2 pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae (Fig. 7); tube length variable, anal setae shorter than tube (Fig. 6).

Gynaikothrips microchaetus Ananthakrishnan and Jagadish
Measurements ( Male macroptera. Similar to female in colour and structure but smaller, fore tarsal tooth very small. Sternite VIII fully occupied by pore plate (Fig. 9), also tergite VIII similarly occupied by this extensive pore plate except for a small triangle at median anterior margin (Fig. 8).
Measurements (  Distinguishing microchaetus from ficorum and uzeli Ananthakrishnan and Sen (1980) differentiated microchaetus from uzeli based on lengths of post ocular, prothoracic and epimeral setae in their key to nine species of Gynaikothrips from India. However, our observations indicated that ficorum, microchaetus and uzeli are very similar in structure. Moreover, ficorum and uzeli are both highly variable, both within and particularly among populations around the world (based on series in the Australian National Insect Collection). These three species may be distinguished as follows: 1.
Pronotum with pa setae small and acute, only epim setae elongate (Fig 2); four postocular setae all finely pointed and shorter than width of fore tibiae (Fig. 1); fore wing sub-basal setae acute, shorter than half of wing width (Fig. 5); male sternite VIII with large pore plate (Fig. 9) that occupies entire sternite and extends fully across tergite VIII except for a triangular area anteromedially (Fig. 8)  Pronotum with two pairs of prominent setae on posterior angles of pronotum, pa setae at least 70% as long as epim setae uzeli -.
Pronotum with pa setae variable, usually short and acute but never more than 50% as long as epim setae . . . . . . . . . . . ficorum Comments. The lack of strong character states in the original description, together with the unknown type depository, have necessitated for this species a redescription and Lectotype designation. Gynaikothrips microchaetus is unique among its congeners in having the male pore plate fully occupying both the sternal and tergal surfaces of abdominal segment VIII. Gynaikothrips uzeli seems to be associated with Ficus benjamina, and G. ficorum with both F. microcarpa and F. benjamina (Tree et al. 2015). But G. microchaetus was collected and described by Ananthakrishnan and Jagdish (1969) from galls on an unknown Ficus plant. In the present study, this thrips species has been observed thriving beneath spider webbing on the leaf surface of F. curtipes. The leaves of this plant are rather thick and possibly not suitable for gall formation. Thus G. microchaetus, although probably confined to species of the genus Ficus, is apparently not specific to any particular species within that large genus. Based on our observations over the past two years, G. microchaetus has maintained a continuous aggregation on F. curtipes under the abandoned silken webs produced by spiders.