Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Both sexes fully winged. Body bicoloured, head and pronotum yellow medially but brown laterally, abdominal tergites with paired brown spots laterally, pleurotergites brown; forewing and clavus brown; antennae dark brown; tarsi and apices of tibiae yellow. Head wider than long, little or no sculpture between ocelli; ocellar setae pair III small, arising between mid pooints of posterior ocelli. Antennae 9-segmented; segments III–IV with forked sensorium, segment VI inner margin with long sensorium arising distal to mid point of segment. Pronotum with weak sculpture markings, discal setae small but weakly spatulate; posterior margin with three pairs of small setae and one pair of longer, blunt, posteroangular setae. Metanotum reticulate, median pair of setae far distant from anterior margin. Fore wing first and second veins each with three widely spaced setae on distal half; wing apex with one stout seta; cilia arise ventrally at varying distances from anterior margin; costa with numerous weakly spatulate setae. Tergites with median pair of setae longer than distance between their bases; sculpture on lateral thirds reticulate with minute microtrichia on lines of sculpture; posterior margin of VIII with complete but weak comb; tergite X with no longitudinal split.

Related and similar species

The genus Filicopsothrips was erected for a single species. The metanotum and hind coxae, also the abdomen, are very similar to those of Dendrothrips species, but the forewing is different.

Distribution data

Area of origin

New Caledonia

Distribution

Known only from New Caledonia

Biological data

Life history

Breeding on fronds of tree fern

Host plants

Dicksonia sp.

Tospoviruses vectored

None

Crop damage

None

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Filicopsothrips wellsae Mound

Original name and synonyms

• Filicopsothrips wellsae Mound, 1999: 268