Abstract
The genus Ajothrips was erected for two new species from India (Bhatti 1967), although subsequently a third Indian species was added (Bhatti 1997). All three species have remained known only from females, although Mound (2009) recorded the presence of sternal pore plates in unspecified males of this genus. The purpose of this note is to record the type species, A. karma, from China, and to describe the unknown male. The systematic position of the genus has a confusing history. Considered by Bhatti (1967) as related to Scirtothrips, it was subsequently excluded from the Scirtothrips genus-group (Masumoto & Okajima 2007). However, more recent studies (Ng & Mound 2015; Lima & Mound 2016) have retained the systematic relationship proposed by Bhatti.
References
Bhatti, J.S. (1967) New Indian Thysanoptera I. A new genus and two new species belonging to the tribe Sericothripini (Family Thripidae). Bulletin of Entomology, 8, 59–64.
Bhatti, J.S. (1997) Thysanoptera. in Fauna of Delhi, State Fauna Series, 6, 291–324. Zoological Survey of India: Dehra Dun.
Lima, E.F.B. & Mound, L.A. (2016) Systematic relationships of the Thripidae subfamily Sericothripinae (Insecta: Thysanoptera) Zoologischer Anzeiger, 263, 24–32.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jcz.2016.03.001Masumoto, M. & Okajima, S. (2007) The genus Scirtothrips Shull (Insecta, Thysanoptera, Thripidae) and three related genera in Japan. Zootaxa, 1552, 1–33.
Mound, L.A. (2009) Sternal pore plates (glandular areas) of male Thripidae (Thysanoptera). Zootaxa, 2129, 29–46.
Ng, Y.F. & Mound, L.A. (2015) Genera of the Scirtothrips genus-group (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) with a new species of Siamothrips from Malaysia. Zootaxa, 4021 (2), 387–394.
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4021.2.9