Two idolothripine genera, Bactrothrips and Megalothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae), from Asia between India and Taiwan, with descriptions of two new species

Two idolothripine genera, Bactrothrips and Megalothrips, from Asia between India and Taiwan are studied taxonomically. Ten species of Bactrothrips and four species of Megalothrips are recognized from this area. Among them two species are newly described and one species is recalled from synonymy: B. brevitubus Takahashi, B. flectoventris Haga & Okajima, B. furvescrus Dang & Qiao, B. honoris (Bagnall), B. idolomorphus (Karny), B. luteus Ananthakrishnan, B. malayanus sp. nov., B. pictipes Haga & Okajima, B. quadrituberculatus (Bagnall), B. serraticornis (Bagnall) stat. rev., M. andrei Mound & Palmer, M. curvidens Okajima, M. rotundus Guo, Cao & Feng and M. sulawesicus sp. nov.

Two species are newly synonymized: B. elongatus Dang & Qiao is newly synonymized with B. honoris; B. brevitubus zhamanus Han & Zhang is newly synonymized with B. luteus, despite it was previously synonymized with B. pictipes. The female Bournier’s Apparatus of Bactrothrips species is briefly explained, and its taxonomic importance is mentioned. It is reported for the first time that the notopleural sutures of Megalothrips species show two distinct patterns.

Two illustrated keys are provided for nine Bactrothrips species, and for four Megalothrips species from Asia.