Thrips pusillus Bagnall

Thrips pusillus Bagnall, 1926: 112

Thrips meliaefloris Hood, 1932: 138

The lectotype and paralectotype of pusillus, from Ghana, Aburi, 9.xi.1915, are very pale and were clearly damaged chemically when slide mounted. However, a specimen mounted onto a slide by Priesner, and bearing a manuscript subspecies name, is equally pale. These three specimens have ocellar setae III close together, scarcely further apart than the width of the fore ocellus, although other specimens have these setae more clearly on the anterior margins of the triangle. This species is very similar in structural details to T. palmi, with similar metanotal sculpture (Fig. 43), boldly setose pronotal disc, a long comb on tergite VIII, and no sternal discal setae but unusually long sternal marginal setae. In contrast to T. palmi the tergites are usually darker medially although the body is otherwise yellow. Teneral individuals that lack the brown tergal markings could easily be misidentified as T. palmi if the ocellar setae III are not close behind the fore ocellus; however the available specimens of T. pusillus all lack campaniform sensilla on the metanotum. A few specimens have also been studied from Angola, Nova Sintra, with the body more generally brown. T. pusillus has been studied from the following countries: Ghana, Sierre Leone, Nigeria, Angola, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Yemen. The new species, T. solari, that is described below from southern Nigeria is also closely related, as is T. priesneri.

Diagnosis. Body and legs mainly yellow, major setae dark, tergites II–VIII with median third brown; antennal segments I–II yellow, III brown distally, IV yellow only at base; forewings weakly shaded. Antennae 7-segmented. Ocellar setae III small, usually just within ocellar triangle. Pronotum with 2 pairs of long posteroangular setae, discal setae well-developed. Metanotal sculpture lines converging to posterior margin, transverse and curving at anterior; median setae arising behind anterior margin; campaniform sensilla absent (Fig. 43). Forewing first vein with 3 setae on distal half. Tergite VIII with complete comb of long and slender microtrichia; pleurotergites and sternites without discal setae; sternal marginal setae about as long as a sternite.