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Citation: Minaei K (2013) Thrips (Insecta, Thysanoptera) of Iran: a revised and updated checklist. ZooKeys 330: 53–74. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.330.5939
In Iran, as a result of recent changes in nomenclature 201 species and one species group of the insect Order Thysanoptera, are here listed in 70 genera and five families. In considering species listed previously from this country, the presence of 7 species is considered not confirmed, and 12 species are excluded from the Iranian list. Problems in the study of Iranian Thysanoptera are discussed briefly.
Iran, list, species, Thysanoptera
Iran forms a large part of the Iranian plateau, and covers an area of 1, 623, 779 km². It is bordered in the north by the Caucasus Mountains, Middle Asian natural regions and the Caspian Sea (-27 m below sea level); in the west by the Anatolian and Mesopotamian regions; in the east by the eastern part of the Iranian plateau (Afghanistan and adjacent west Pakistan) and the Baluch-Sindian region; and finally in the south by the Persian Gulf and Oman Sea, which are connected by the latter to the Indian Ocean (
In Iran, the first record of thrips species was of three species, Frankliniella intonsa (Trybom), Thrips flavus Schrank and Thrips tabaci Lindeman, as pests of summer crops (
Relevant information about thrips species recorded from Iran is severely lacking. For example, until the end of 2007, 187 primary references had been published on Iranian Thysanoptera, but, of these, 123 (65%) appeared only as “abstracts”. Almost all of these consisted solely of species lists, without any further information being provided as to the number of collected specimens, their sex, or the habitats in which the species were collected. In one of these abstracts (
The third problem, related to the above, is imprecise reporting by Iranian authors. Several species have been reported from Iran despite the original specific identifications on which these reports are based remaining tentative. For example, the Iranian records for three Haplothrips species reported by
The following checklist is organized following the standard taxonomic hierarchy, and is based on published literatures including
The Terebrantia comprises eight families (
The family includes 194 extant species in 23 genera (
In this family, the most species-rich genus, Aeolothrips was interpreted by
Aeolothrips Haliday, 1836
+ afghanus Jenser, 1984 male described by
albicinctus Haliday, 1836
collaris Priesner, 1919
+ cursor Priesner, 1939 added by
deserticola Priesner, 1929
+ eremicola Priesner, 1938 added by
fasciatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
gloriosus Bagnall, 1914
heinzi zur Strassen, 1990
intermedius Bagnall, 1934
+ modestus zur Strassen, 1966 added by
mongolicus Pelikan, 1985
+ montivagus Priesner, 1948 added by
tenuicornis Bagnall, 1926
versicolor Uzel, 1895
+ wittmeri Priesner, 1935 added by
+ zurstrasseni Minaei described by
Indothrips Bhatti, 1967
bhushani Bhatti, 1967
Orothrips Moulton, 1907
priesneri (Titschack, 1958)
Rhipidothrips Uzel, 1895
brunneus Williams, 1913
flavus Tunç, 1991
gratiosus Uzel, 1895
unicolor zur Strassen, 1965
Melanthripids were considered to be members of the Aeolothripidae until recently. The family now includes 66 extant species in four genera: Ankothrips (13 species), Cranothrips (11 species), Dorythrips (6 species) and Melanthrips (35 species). All species in the family are flower-feeding but each genus exhibits a remarkable discontinuity in geographical distribution: Cranothrips and Dorythrips are known only from the Southern Hemisphere, whereas Ankothrips and Melanthrips are mainly from the Northern Hemisphere but each with one or two species from South Africa (
Ankothrips Crawford, 1909
+ zayandicus Minaei, Haftbaradarn & Mound, 2012 described by
Melanthrips Haliday, 1836
fuscus (Sulzer, 1776)
+ hei Mirab-balou & Chen, 2012 described by
knechteli Priesner, 1936
pallidior Priesner, 1919
rivnayi Priesner, 1936
separandus Priesner, 1936
The extant species in this group were placed in the family Adiheterothripidae (
Holarthrothrips Bagnall, 1927
josephi Bhatti, 1986
Thripids include 2020 species in 284 genera worldwide (
More than 90 species, in 11 genera, are recognized worldwide in this subfamily (
Dendrothrips Uzel, 1895
degeeri Uzel, 1895
karnyi Priesner, 1921
phyllireae (Bagnall, 1927)
saltator Uzel, 1895
Pseudodendrothrips Schmutz, 1913
mori (Niwa, 1908)
Caliothrips Daniel, 1904
impurus (Priesner, 1928)
+ quadrifasciatus the species is recorded as Caliothrips graminicola Bagnall & Cameron, 1932 in Iranian literature
Heliothrips Haliday, 1836
haemorrhoidalis (Bouche, 1833)
Parthenothrips Uzel, 1895
dracaenae (Heeger, 1854)
Retithrips Marchal, 1910
syriacus (Mayet, 1890)
Rhipiphorothrips Morgan, 1913
cruentatus Hood, 1919
Selenothrips Karny, 1911
+ rubrocinctus (Giard, 1901) added by
This group is treated as a subfamily of Thripidae to include three genera: Hydatothrips Karny, Neohydatothrips John, Sericothrips Haliday (
Neohydatothrips John, 1929
gracilicornis (Williams, 1916)
tadzhicus (Pelikan, 1964)
This is the largest group of Thripidae with 1644 species in 232 genera (
Agalmothrips Priesner, 1965
parviceps (Priesner, 1965)
Anaphothrips Uzel, 1895
+ obscurus (Müller, 1776) male described by
sudanensis Trybom, 1911
Aptinothrips Haliday, 1836
elegans Priesner, 1924
rufus (Haliday, 1836)
stylifer Trybom, 1894
Arorathrips Bhatti, 1990
+ mexicanus (Crawford DL, 1909) added by
Bregmatothrips Hood, 1912
bournieri Pelikan, 1988
Chirothrips Haliday, 1836
aculeatus (Bagnall, 1927)
+ atricorpus (Girault, 1927) stat. rev. by
kurdistanus zur Strassen, 1967
+ manicatus species-group defined by
+ maximi Ananthakrishnan, 1957 added by
+ meridionalis Bagnall, 1927 stat. rev. by
molestus Priesner, 1926
Collembolothrips Priesner, 1935
mediterraneus Priesner, 1935
Drepanothrips Uzel, 1895
reuteri Uzel, 1895
Eremiothrips Priesner, 1950
antilope (Priesner, 1923)
arya (zur Strassen, 1975)
+ bhattii Minaei, 2012 described by Minaei (2012)
dubius (Priesner, 1933)
efflatouni (Priesner, 1965)
farsi Bhatti & Telmadarraiy, 2003
shirabudinensis (Yakhontov, 1929)
+ similis Bhatti, 1988 added by
taghizadehi (zur Strassen, 1975)
tamaricis (zur Strassen, 1975)
varius (Bhatti, 1967)
+ zurstrasseni Bhatti, Bagheri & Ramezani, 2009 described by
Euphysothrips Bagnall, 1926
minozzii Bagnall, 1926
Exothrips Priesner, 1939
redox Bhatti, 1975
Ficothrips Minaei, 2012
+ moundi Minaei, 2012 described by
Frankliniella Karny, 1910
intonsa (Trybom, 1895)
occidentalis (Pergande, 1895)
pallida (Uzel, 1895)
schultzei (Trybom, 1910)
tenuicornis (Uzel, 1895)
Kakothrips Williams, 1914
+ dentatus Knechtel, 1939 added by
pisivorus (Westwood, 1880)
priesneri Pelikan, 1965
Limothrips Haliday, 1836
angulicornis Jablonowski, 1894
+ cerealium (Haliday, 1836) added by
denticornis (Haliday, 1836)
schmutzi Priesner, 1919
transcaucasicus Savenko, 1944
Megalurothrips Bagnall, 1915
+ distalis (Karny, 1913) added by
Microcephalothrips Bagnall, 1926
abdominalis (Crawford DL, 1910)
Mycterothrips Trybom, 1910
consociatus (Targioni-Tozzetti, 1887)
+ hamedaniensis Mirab-balou, Shi & Chen, 2011 described by
latus (Bagnall, 1912)
salicis (Reuter, 1879)
tschirkunae (Yakhontov, 1961)
+ weii Mirab-balou, Shi & Chen, 2011 described by
Odontothrips Amyot & Serville, 1843
confusus Priesner, 1926
loti (Haliday, 1852) added by
meliloti Priesner, 1951
phlomidinus Priesner, 1954
Oxythrips Uzel, 1895
+ claripennis Priesner, 1940 added by
halidayi Bagnall, 1924
retamae (Priesner, 1934)
ulmifoliorum (Haliday, 1836)
wiltshirei Priesner, 1954
Parascolothrips Mound, 1967
priesneri Mound, 1967
Pezothrips Karny, 1907
bactrianus (Pelikan, 1968)
Psilothrips Hood, 1927
bimaculatus (Priesner, 1932)
Rubiothrips Schliephake, 1975
+ parisae Mirab-balou & Chen, 2013 described by
+ tongi Mirab-balou & Chen, 2013 described by
+ vitalbae (Bagnall, 1926) added by
vitis (Priesner, 1933)
Scirtothrips Shull, 1909
mangiferae Priesner, 1932
Scolothrips Hinds, 1902
latipennis Priesner, 1950
longicornis Priesner, 1926
rhagebianus Priesner, 1950
Sitothrips Priesner, 1931
arabicus Priesner, 1931
Sphaeropothrips Priesner, 1928
vittipennis (Bagnall, 1927)
Stenchaetothrips Bagnall, 1926
+ biformis (Bagnall, 1913) added by
Stenothrips Uzel, 1895
graminum Uzel, 1895
Taeniothrips Amyot & Serville, 1843
inconsequens (Uzel, 1895)
Tamaricothrips Priesner, 1964
tamaricis (Bagnall, 1926)
Tenothrips Bhatti, 1967
discolor (Karny, 1907)
frici (Uzel, 1895)
latoides (Pelikan, 1968)
reichardti (Priesner, 1926)
Thermothrips Pelikan, 1949
+ mohelensis (Pelikan, 1949) added by
Thrips Linnaeus, 1758
alavii Mirab-balou, Tong & Chen, 2012 described by
albopilosus Uzel, 1895
+ alliorum (Priesner, 1895) added by
angusticeps Uzel, 1895
atratus Haliday, 1836
+ australis Bagnall, 1915 added by
dubius Priesner, 1927
euphorbiae Knechtel, 1923
flavus Schrank, 1776
fraudulentus (Priesner, 1954)
fuscipennis Haliday, 1836
hawaiiensis (Morgan, 1913)
iranicus Yakhontov, 1951
major Uzel, 1895
mareoticus (Priesner, 1932)
meridionalis (Priesner, 1926)
minutissimus Linnaeus, 1758
nigropilosus Uzel, 1895
pelikani Schliephake, 1964
physapus Linnaeus, 1758
pillichi Priesner, 1924
pistaciae Yakhontov, 1951
simplex (Morison, 1930)
tabaci Lindeman, 1889
trehernei Priesner, 1927
verbasci (Priesner, 1920)
vuilleti (Bagnall, 1933)
vulgatissimus Haliday, 1836
Only a single family is recognized in this suborder, the Phlaeothripidae, with two subfamilies, Idolothripinae and Phlaeothripinae. Species of Phlaeothripidae are diverse in their biologies. Idolothripinae are all considered to feed on fungal spores (
Allothrips Hood, 1908
+ bournieri Mound, 1972 added by
Compsothrips Reuter, 1901
albosignatus (Reuter, 1884)
Megathrips Targioni-Tozzetti, 1881
flavipes (Reuter, 1901)
Pseudocryptothrips Priesner, 1919
meridionalis Priesner, 1919
Bagnalliella Karny, 1920
+ yuccae (Hinds, 1902) added by
Dolicholepta Priesner, 1932
micrura (Bagnall, 1914)
Haplothrips Amyot & Serville, 1843
aculeatus (Fabricius, 1803)
andresi Priesner, 1931
clarisetis Priesner, 1931
distinguendus (Uzel, 1895)
eragrostidis Priesner, 1931
flavicinctus (Karny, 1910)
flavitibia Williams, 1916
ganglbaueri Schmutz, 1913
globiceps (Bagnall, 1934)
+ herajius Minaei & Aleosfoor, 2013 described by
kermanensis zur Strassen, 1975
kurdjumovi Karny, 1913
leucanthemi (Schrank, 1781)
maroccanus Priesner, 1950
phyllophilus Priesner, 1914
reuteri (Karny, 1907)
subtilissimus (Haliday, 1852)
tamaricinus Priesner, 1939
tritici (Kurdjumov, 1912)
vuilleti Priesner, 1920
Neoheegeria Schmutz, 1909
dalmatica Schmutz, 1909
gigantea (Priesner, 1934) added by
persica Priesner, 1954
Plicothrips Bhatti, 1979
apicalis (Bagnall, 1915)
Liothrips lineage
Ataliothrips Bhatti, 1995
reuteri (Bagnall, 1913)
Cephalothrips Uzel, 1895
coxalis Bagnall, 1926
monilicornis (Reuter, 1885)
Liothrips Uzel, 1895
austriacus (Karny, 1909)
jakhontovi Kreutzberg, 1955
pragensis Uzel, 1895
setinodis (Reuter, 1880)
Aleurodothrips Franklin, 1909
+ fasciapennis Franklin, 1909 added by
Hindsiothrips Stannard, 1958
+ sisakhti Minaei, 2013 described by
Hoplandrothrips Hood, 1912
bidens (Bagnall, 1910)
hungaricus Priesner, 1961
Hoplothrips Amyot & Serville, 1843
+ An unknown species added by
Idiothrips Faure, 1933
+ bellus Faure, 1933 Idiothrips ficus Bhatti, 1967 is synonymized with bellus by
Phlaeothrips Haliday, 1836
coriaceus Haliday, 1836
Stictothrips Hood, 1924
faurei Hood, 1924
Aeolothrips
Haplothrips
The report of Haplothrips minutus (Uzel) from Iran is based on specimens identified by zur Strassen with a query (?). Similarly, the reports of three other species of Haplothrips, (caespitis Priesner, longipes Bagnall, and rabinovitchi Priesner) from Iran have also not been confirmed (
Caliothrips striatopterus (Kobus, 1892): this species was recorded by
Chaetanaphothrips Haliday, 1836
The only mention of this genus in an Iranian context appeared in a text book (
cephalica (Crawford DL, 1910): the species appeared in the Iranian literature as a potential pest in the north of Iran but with no recorded details of occurrence (
sulphurea Schmutz, 1913: the species is considered as a good species by
tritici (Fitch, 1855): the species appeared in the Iranian literature as an external plant quarantine element (but not recorded) (
Scirtothrips citri (Moulton, 1909): the Californian citrus thrips was mentioned in the text book by
Scolothrips sexmaculatus (Pergande, 1890): the species was first reported from Iran by
Thrips coloratus Schmutz, 1913: the species was recorded by
Haplothrips
bagnalli (Trybom, 1910)
nr. bagrolis Bhatti, 1973
cerealis Priesner
The first two species listed above have already been excluded from the Iranian list by
rasouliani Mirab-balou & Chen: this name recently appeared in a paper (
Knowledge of the natural biological systems of Iran is variable. Despite excellent floristic studies, such as Flora Iranica that now provides an identification system to more than 10, 000 plant species (
Although the fauna of Iran shares many species with the European Mediterranean region, other areas have a considerable effect on the Iranian fauna. For example, among the 125 species from the family Thripidae recorded here, 91 are also present in the European Mediterranean area (
I am grateful to Dom Collins (The Food and Environment Research Agency, Sand Hutton, York, United Kingdom) for reviewing an earlier draft of this manuscript as well as editorial help. The manuscript was improved through the advice and critics kindly provided by Laurence Mound (CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Canberra, Australia) and two anonymous referees.