OzThrips

Thysanoptera in Australia

Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body and legs light brown, apices of tibiae and all tarsi yellow; antennal segment I as brown as head, II dark brown, III–V yellow, VI–VIII very light brown; fore wing weakly shaded particularly on posterior half. Antennae 8-segmented; sensorium simple on segment III, forked on IV. Head projecting in front of eyes, with two swellings over base of antennal segment I, fore ocellus reduced; ocellar setae pair I placed far forward of pair II, sometimes absent, pair III between posterior ocelli; eyes large, cheeks straight. Pronotum trapezoidal, weakly sculptured, setae all small. Mesonotum reticulate, median pair of setae not close to posterior margin. Metascutum reticulate, median setae arise medially, no campaniform sensilla. Mesothoracic sternopleural sutures incomplete at anterior margin; furca with weak spinula. Fore wing first vein with 5 basal and 2 distal setae, second vein with 5 setae; clavus with 3 veinal setae. Abdominal tergite I reticulate, with no craspedum; tergites II–VIII very weakly reticulate medially with broad posteromarginal craspedum bearing many small lobes; campaniform sensilla close to posterior margin; tergites IX–X dorsal setae stout and weakly capitate. Sternites without craspeda, marginal setae arise submarginally, 4–10 discal setae in irregular transverse row medially.

Female microptera. Similar to macroptera, ocelli present, wing lobe shorter than median length of mesonotum; mesonotum and metascutum transverse.

Male microptera. Sharply bicoloured; mainly yellow, abdominal segments II–III dark brown; head shaded with brown laterally and at anterior margin; antennal segment I brown, II dark brown, III–V yellow, VI–VIII light brown. Head and pronotum similar to female; abdominal tergites II–VIII with craspeda deeply lobed; tergite IX median setae small and far apart, two pairs of stout posterolateral setae; sternites III–VIII with transversely oval pore plates close to antecostal ridge, lateral discal areas of sternites with many stout microtrichia.

Related and similar species

The genus Ozanaphothrips comprises six species, all from Australia. O. perotis has the head, pronotum and fore wings similar to those of O. fenarius, but the sternites lack craspeda and the metascutum lacks campaniform sensilla.

Distribution data

General distribution

Known only from Australia.

Australian distribution

Western Australia, Northern Territory.

Biological data

Life history

Feeding on leaves.

Host plants

Perotis rara, Echinochloa sp. (Poaceae).

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Ozanaphothrips perotis Mound & Masumoto

Original name and synonyms

  • Ozanaphothrips perotis Mound & Masumoto, 2009: 66

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

Oz thrips taxa