Apelaunothrips madrasensis Ananthakrishnan

Apelaunothrips madrasensis (Ananthakrishnan) comb.rev.

(Figs 5, 21)

Described in the genus Malacothrips, and transferred to Apelaunothrips by Mound (1974), this species was later transferred to Dexiothrips by Okajima (1979). It is here returned to Apelaunothrips in view of the long stylets that are less than one third of the head width apart medially (Fig. 5). In contrast, the only species in the genus Dexiothrips, from Africa, has the stylets at least 0.5 of the head width apart and low in the head. Antennal segment VIII of madrasensis has a distinct basal neck (Fig. 21), the mesonotal lateral setae are long and capitate, the pelta lacks campaniform sensilla, on tergite IX the major setae are longer than the tube and the iS setal pair is two-thirds as long as setae S1.

Specimen studied. Indonesia, Java, Tjibodas Gardens, 1 female from grass, 22.x.1973, in the Natural History Museum, London.