Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body and legs yellow; antennal segment I white, II pale brown, III–V pale brown with base variably yellow, VI–IX brown; fore wing lightly shaded; tergite IX major setae dark. Head with transverse anastomosing lines behind eyes, extending weakly into ocellar triangle; ocellar setae III on anterior margins of ocellar triangle; eyes without pigmented facets. Antennae 9-segmented; segment II with few microtrichia; III–IV with sensorium forked, VI pedicellate, suture between VI–VII transverse. Pronotum with about 20 transverse sculpture lines, with no long setae. Metascutum reticulate, median setae distant from anterior margin, campaniform sensilla present. Fore wing first vein with about 9 setae basally, then about 6 setae irregularly placed to wing apex; second vein with about 12–16 setae including 1–2 setae basal to vein fork; clavus with 6–8 marginal setae. Abdominal tergites III–VII smooth medially; laterally with about 8 transverse lines with small triangular microtrichia, lines extend just mesad of S2 setae; VIII with long, fine posteromarginal comb.

Male macroptera. Similar to female; tergite IX with one pair of short, stout setae medially, posterolateral margin with one pair of slender setae, posterior margin submedially with pair of slender spine-like processes; sternites III–VII with C-shaped pore plate.

Related and similar species

There are 43 species of Anaphothrips known from Australia, out of a total of 79 species worldwide (Mound & Masumoto, 2009). Many of these species have the antennae clearly 9-segmented, others clearly have only 8 segments, but several species have an intermediate condition with segment VI bearing a partial and often oblique transverse suture. The females of A. desleyae are similar to those of A. epacrida, and share with that species and A. astrolomi the character state of setae present on the basal stem of the fore wing second vein. The chaetotaxy of tergite IX of males is different, but the slender spine-like processes on the posterior margin may be homologous with structures in a similar position in the males of A. dubius and A. epacrida.

Distribution data

General distribution

Known only from Australia.

Australian distribution

Queensland.

Biological data

Life history

Presumably feeding on leaves.

Host plants

Unidentified vine.

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Anaphothrips desleyae Mound & Masumoto

Original name and synonyms

• Anaphothrips desleyae Mound & Masumoto, 2009: 30

References

Mound LA & Masumoto M. 2009. Australian Thripinae of the Anaphothrips genus-group (Thysanoptera), with three new genera and thirty-three new species. Zootaxa 2042: 1-76.http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2009/f/zt02042p076.pdf