Records and checklist of Thysanoptera in Turkey

* Correspondence: irtunc@akdeniz.edu.tr Studies on the Thysanoptera (thrips) fauna of Turkey are relatively new. The earliest systematic faunistic report on the Turkish Thysanoptera dates back to 1934 (Bagnall, 1934). Since then, the Turkish Thysanoptera have attracted only a few thysanopterists and, consequently, the number of the species with a type locality in Turkey has remained rather low. The following species are known to have their type localities in Turkey: Haplothrips globiceps Bagnall (Bagnall, 1934); Haplothrips bluncki Priesner (Priesner, 1951); Haplothrips plantaginis Priesner (Priesner, 1957); Melanthrips trifasciatus Priesner, Ropotamothrips ressli (Priesner), and Tenothrips anatolicus (Priesner), (Priesner, 1961); Haplothrips falsarius Priesner (Priesner, 1966); Chirothrips kurdistanus zur Strassen (zur Strassen, 1967); Eryngyothrips discolor Bhatti (Bhatti, 1979); Aeolothrips heinzi zur Strassen (zur Strassen, 1990); Rhipidothrips flavus Tunç (Tunç, 1991a); Thrips temperans zur Strassen (zur Strasen, 1996a); and Sinuothrips hasta Collins (Collins, 2000). Major contributions in terms of new records for Turkey were made by Blunck (1958), Priesner (1961, 1966), Franz and Priesner (1961), Alkan (1962), Pelikan (1969), Tuatay et al. (1972), Cengiz (1974), zur Strassen (1963, 1967, 1968, 1975,1978, 1980, 1983, 1987, 1993, 1996b, 2000, 2003), Tunç (1976, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990a, 1990b, 1991a, 1992a, 1992b, 1992c,), Tunç and zur Strassen (1984), and Tunç et al. (2012a, 2012b). The Table contains further references for the first records of the species in Turkey. For new locality records within Turkey, besides those mentioned above, the following reports are worth pointing out: those of Tunç (1991b), Kılıç and Yoldaş (2004, 2012), Atakan and Tunç (2004), Atakan and Uygur (2005), Nas et al. (2007), Tekşam and Tunç (2009), Hazır et al. (2011), and Özsemerci et all. (2011). The material presented here was obtained from almost every region of Turkey; however, the main body is from northwestern Anatolia, which includes the southeastern Marmara and western Black Sea regions. Little information is available on the thrips fauna of this part of Turkey. Blunck (1958) reported material collected in the provinces of Bursa, Bilecik, and, to a much lesser extent, Düzce, but the areas of those provinces that he surveyed do not match those surveyed in the present study. Furthermore, the provinces of Sakarya, Zonguldak, Karabük, and Bartın were not included in that report. A checklist for the Turkish Thysanoptera is presented with the references of the first records of the species included (Table). The species with type localities in Turkey are indicated. The first checklist of Thysanoptera in Turkey was compiled by Lodos (1993). The list also included information on Thysanoptera fauna from several neighboring areas, e.g., Cyprus, Iran, Caucasia, Sinai, Jordan, and Israel. However, this list is little known because it was published as a part of a textbook of limited distribution and therefore reached a narrow audience. Naturally, it is also out of date. Abstract: Thysanoptera specimens collected from different parts of Turkey, and especially from northwestern Anatolia, were studied. Data are presented on 65 species, of which 33 are from northwestern Anatolia. The species studied are either new records for the Turkish fauna or new locality records within Turkey. The following 9 species are new records for the Turkish fauna: Bregmatothrips willcocksi (Priesner), Pseudodendrothrips mori (Niwa), Cephalothrips coxalis Bagnall, Chiraplothrips graminellus Priesner, Haplothrips arenarius Priesner, Haplothrips dianthinus Priesner, Haplothrips priesnerorum Pelikan, Haplothrips rabinovitchi Priesner, and Hoplandrothrips bidens Bagnall. A checklist of Thysanoptera from Turkey that includes 193 species is presented. References of the first records of the species involved are also given.