REVISION OF THE GENUS ODONTOTHRIPS AMYOT & SERVILLE (THYSANOPTERA, THRIPIDAE) WITH THE REDESCRIPTION OF ODONTOTHRIPS LOTI (HALIDAY, 1852) SPECIE ON LOTUS CORNICULATUS CROPS.

Bird’s – foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), along with alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and white clover (Trefolium repens) are some of the most important forage plants grown in Romania, but also worldwide (VÎRTEIU, 2010; YAN QI LIU ET AL., 2021). Thrips species are among the insect species that cause the most significant damage, significantly reducing the forage yield and quality. In Romania, more than 5 thrips species have been identified as Lotus corniculatus pests, of which three belong to Odontothrips genus: Odontothrips loti, Odontothrips confuses and Odontothrips phaleratus. Being one of the main pests of bird’s – foot trefoil in western Romania, Odontothrips loti caused serious economic losses of up to 80% of seed yields. The biological material (thrips species) was collected from Lotus corniculatus fields located in Șagu - Arad, Romania (46°02′20″N, 21°18′05″E) during flowering seasons, in a period of 20 days, with a sample periodicity at each 48 hours. The genus Odontothrips Amyot & Serville is defined to include thrips species that presents the antenna consisting of 8 articles, article 6 being wider and having scale form; the forewings with strong hairs on longitudinal ribs; the main rib with hairy setae on almost entire surface, in the distal region presenting two hairs. Also, the measurement of body length indicated that the three species had body with length ranging from 1,532 to 2,20 ± 0,20. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]