Belothrips acuminatus Haliday

Belothrips acuminatus Haliday Thrips (Belothrips) acuminatus Haliday, 1836: 450. Rubiothrips parisae Mirab-balou & Chen, 2013: 160. syn.n. Nigritothrips longistylosus of Goldarazena, 2013 —nec Priesner, 1928. The original specimens of acuminatus have not been studied, the identifications here being based on zur Strassen (2003) and on specimens in BMNH, London and ANIC, Canberra. The synonymy of parisae is based on the type specimens (Figs 7–15). One male listed but misidentified by Goldarazena (2013) as longistylosus has been re-examined. Contrary to that publication, this male has pore plates only on sternites III–VII, not on VIII. The species acuminatus shares with the two species previously placed in Nigritothrips the presence of tergal and sternal posteroangular setae slightly in front of the margins. This condition is also found in Rubiothrips parisae, resulting in the synonymy given above. In contrast, these setae are marginal in all the species previously placed in Rubiothrips. Females of the two species placed in Nigritothrips have antennal segments V and VI closely approximated, but this is less so for the males (Figs 3–4). The antennal segments also have fewer microtrichia than are found in acuminatus and other species here considered members of Belothrips. Specimens examined. IRAN, Hamedan Province, holotype and paratype females and males of parisae; [ZJUH, SCAU, ILAMU]. CZECH REPUBLIC, Podivin, 1 female labelled as morio, 13.v.1950 (J Pelikan). CHINA, Sichuan Province, 2 females, around rice fields, on unknown plant ??, 10.vii.2010, De-Qiang PU, [ILAMU]. SCOTLAND, Aberdeen area, both sexes with larvae on Galium verum [BMNH]. Also: various specimens at BMNH, London from Ireland, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Austria, Bohemia, and USSR.