Turkish Journal of Zoology Turk J Zool (2016) 40: 620-624 http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/zoology/ © TÜBİTAK Short Communication doi:10.3906/zoo-1507-14 New record of the genus and species Liothrips reuteri (Bagnall) from Iraq, with a checklist of tubuliferan species (Thysanoptera) Majid MIRAB-BALOU* Department of Plant Protection, College of Agriculture, Ilam University, Ilam, Iran Received: 09.07.2015 Accepted/Published Online: 22.02.2016 Final Version: 09.06.2016 Abstract: A tamarisk thrips, Liothrips reuteri (Bagnall) (Thysanoptera: Tubulifera), collected onTamarix from Mandali (Diyala Province) is recorded from Iraq for the first time. This also represents the first record of the genus Liothrips Uzel for this country. A current checklist of the tubuliferan thrips from Iraq is provided. The new records increase the known tubuliferan thrips reported in Iraq to 12 species in 6 genera representing two subfamilies of the family Phlaeothripidae. Diagnostic morphological characters and the geographical distribution of the newly recorded thrips are given. Key words: Thysanoptera, Tubulifera, Liothrips, Tamarix, Iraq Iraq is a country in western Asia. The country The Thysanoptera, with more than 6000 known species, borders Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, Kuwait to is an order of insects distributed throughout the world. This the southeast, Saudi Arabia to the south, Jordan to the order includes nine families for living species belonging to southwest, and Syria to the west (Figure 1). The southern two suborders: Terebrantia and Tubulifera (Mirab-balou et part of Iraq is within the Arabian Peninsula. Iraq has al., 2011: 720-721). The family Phlaeothripidae is the only a narrow section of coastline measuring 58 km on the family in the suborder Tubulifera. This family currently northern Persian Gulf and its territory encompasses comprises about 3550 known species in 460 genera in the Mesopotamian Alluvial Plain, the north-western end the world (ThripsWiki, 2015), of which 12 species in five of the Zagros mountain range, and the eastern part of the genera have been reported from Iraq (Derwesh, 1965; Syrian Desert. Most of Iraq has a hot arid climate with El-Haidari and Daoud, 1971; Al-Ali, 1977; Hamodi and subtropical influence. Typically precipitation is low; most Abdul-Rassoul, 2010c). places receive less than 250 mm annually, with maximum For new records, thrips specimens were collected rainfall occurring during the winter months. Rainfall on Tamarix sp. (Figure 2) from Mandali (= Mendeli, in during the summer is extremely rare, except in the far Kurdish) (Latitude 33.7436111/33°44ʹ36.9996ʺ, Longitude north of the country. The northern mountainous regions 45.5463889/45°32ʹ46.9998ʺ) in Diyala Province, eastern have cold winters with occasional heavy snows, sometimes Iraq (Figure 3). The thrips were prepared and mounted causing extensive flooding. In Iraq, the first record of thrips was of eight species: on slides using the method described by Mirab-balou and Melanthrips fuscus (Sulzer), Hercothrips indicus (= Chen (2010) and specimens are deposited in the collection Caliothrips indicus Bagnall), Retithrips syriacus (Mayet), of the Department of Plant Protection, College of Euphysothrips sp., Frankliniella intonsa (Trybom), Agriculture, Ilam University, Iran (ILAMU), and the Insect Frankliniella pallida (Uzel), Allothrips sp.? pillichellus Collection of Department of Entomology, South China Priesner, and Haplothrips cerealis Priesner (= Haplothrips Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China (SCAU). tritici (Kurdjumov) (Derwesh, 1965); and after that there The present checklist aims at reviewing as many were several scattered studies of this group in this country reports of Thysanoptera as possible, including all (Mound, 1967; El-Haidari and Daoud, 1971; Al-Ali, 1977; previously published as having been recorded in Iraq. Bhatti, 1986, 1988; Hamodi and Abdul-Rassoul, 2004, Postgraduate theses and scientific meetings are not formal 2008, 2009, 2010a, 2010b, 2010c; Hamodi, 2012). publications and are consequently not included in this * Correspondence: [email protected] 620 MIRAB-BALOU / Turk J Zool Figure 1. Map of Iraq. Figure 2. Tamarisk, Tamarix sp. in Mandali, Iraq. paper. Nomenclatural information for all thrips taxa in Mirab-balou et al. (2011) lists 25 species of this genus this checklist (for full synonymies for the names listed from China. Recently, the key of four species from Iran here) is available online (http://thrips.info/wiki/). was provided by Minaei and Mound (2014). Herein, this The present checklist comprises 12 species in six genera genus is newly recorded for the fauna of Iraq. of the family Phlaeothripidae in Tubulifera (Table); of Liothrips reuteri (Bagnall, 1913) these, the genus and species of Liothrips reuteri (Bagnall) (Figures 4–10) are recorded in Iraq for the first time. Material studied. 9♀, 3♂, IRAQ, Mandali, Diyala Liothrips Uzel, 1895 Province, on Tamarix sp. (Tamaricaceae), 5.iv.2014, and This genus, with 283 species in the world, is the largest 7.iii.2014, (ILAMU; 2 females, 1 male at SCAU). genus in the subfamily Phlaeothripinae. zur Strassen Diagnosis. Female macroptera. Body dark brown, (1994) lists 74 Liothrips species from Indonesia, and except antennal segments III & IV yellow to yellowish 621 MIRAB-BALOU / Turk J Zool Figure 3. Map of Diyala Province (showing situation of Mandali). Table. A checklist of tubuliferan species recorded from Iraq. brown; anterior half of antennal segment II, posterior half of segment V, and base of VI yellowish brown; all legs dark I. Subfamily Idolothripinae brown. Allothrips Hood Head. Head longer than broad; postocular setae Allothrips sp. ? pillichellus Priesner small (shorter than eyes), not reaching compound eyes, apically pointed or blunt (Figure 4). Cheeks without any II. Subfamily Phlaeothripinae strong basal setae; mouth cone narrowly pointed, but Dolicholepta Priesner not reaching posterior margin of prosternum. Maxillary D. micrura (Bagnall) stylets far from eyes; maxillary bridge absent. Antennae Haplothrips Amyot et Serville 8-segmented (Figure 5), segment III with one outer sense H. hukkineni Priesner cone but never with an inner sense cone, IV with one inner H. jasionis Priesner and two outer sense cones, II with campaniform sensillum H. pharao Priesner situated at anterior half of segment; antennal segment III H. salloumensis Priesner longer than others; segment VIII nonpedicellate. H. subtilissimus (Haliday) Thorax. Pronotum weakly sculptured; all pronotal * H. tritici (Kurdjumov) setae well developed, with apices expanded; pronotal Karnyothrips Watson anteromarginal setae (am) as long as anteroangulars (aa) K. flavipes (Jones) (sometimes a little longer than aa in some specimens), K. melaleucus (Bagnall) epimerals (ep) longer than posteroangulars (pa). Notopleural sutures complete; basantral plates absent. Phlaeothrips Haliday Metanotum longitudinally striate to hexagonally reticulate, P. sycomori Priesner with a pair of well-developed median setae, expanded apically, far from anterior margin; mesopresternum * This species was previously recorded in Iraq as H. cerealis Priesner, which was recently synonymized by Minaei and Mound, undivided, boat-shaped (Figure 8); metathoracic 2014: 598. Here it was also collected from Diyala Province sternopleural sutures present. Pelta bell-shaped, with a [Material studied: 7♀, 3♂, IRAQ, Mandali, Diyala Province, on pair of campaniform sensilla (Figure 6). Foretarsus with Bromus sp. (Poaceae), 17.iii.2015, (ILAMU, 2 females, 2 males at tooth in both sexes. Forewing parallel sided (Figure 7), 10– SCAU)]. 13 duplicated cilia present, subbasal wing setae arranged 622 MIRAB-BALOU / Turk J Zool Figures 4–10. Liothrips reuteri (Bagnall). (4) Head and pronotum; (5) Antenna; (6) Pelta; (7) Forewing; (8) Mesopraesternum; (9) Abdominal segments IX and X (tube); (10) Abdominal sternite VIII, male (showing pore plate); (scale bar = 100 µm). 623 MIRAB-BALOU / Turk J Zool in one row, setae S1, S2, and S3 the same length and 180 (basal width 76), anal setae 140. Antennal segments I– expanded apically. VIII length 50(53), 58(37), 115(36), 95(34), 80(36), 70(33), Abdomen. Abdominal tergites II–VII with 2 pairs 50(24), and 40(18). of sigmoid wing retaining setae; tergite IX with S1 and Distribution. Iraq (Diyala); Iran, India, Egypt, North S2 setae well developed and blunt apically in both sexes Africa, Canary Islands, Mediterranean, United Arab (sometimes smoothly expanded in males). Tube shorter Emirates, Mongolia, Niger, Sudan (zur Strassen and than head (Figure 9). Harten 2008). Male macroptera. Male with a broad pore plate on Hosts. Tamarix spp. (Tamaricaceae). abdominal sternite VIII (Figure 10); tergite IX S2 setae shorter and thicker than S1 and S3. Acknowledgments Measurements (female in micrometres) (width). I am grateful to Prof Tong Xiao-li and Prof Zhang Wei- Body ♀ 2870. Head 350(245); postocular setae 20. qiu of South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Pronotum 140(365), epimeral setae 70. Forewing 950; China, for their useful advice. subbasal setae 60. Abdominal tergite IX setae S1 115. Tube References Al-Ali AS (1977). Phytophagus and Entomophagus insects and mites Hamodi AAF, Abdul-Rassoul MS (2010b). New record of Thrips of Iraq. Nat Hist Res Center Iraq 33: 1-142. palmi Karny 1925 (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Iraq. Arab J Bhatti JS (1986). A new species of Holarthrothrips from Iraq, with Plant Protect 30: 142-144. notes on host plants and key to species, along with clarification Hamodi