OzThrips

Thysanoptera in Australia

Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Both sexes fully winged. Body whitish yellow with interantennal projection variably brown, and pronotum with paired longitudinal brown markings; forewings light brown with apex paler; antennae pale brown with segments IV–VI sometimes yellow at base. Head wider than long, finely reticulate between ocelli; ocellar setae pair III small, arising between anterior margins of posterior ocelli. Antennae 9-segmented; segments III–IV with long forked sensorium, segment VI inner margin with long sensorium arising close to base. Pronotum with narrow transverse reticulation but no markings between the main striae; posterior margin with three pairs of setae and one pair of longer posteroangular setae. Metanotum with closely spaced longitudinal striae, median pair of setae small and far distant from anterior margin. Fore wing first vein with two widely spaced setae on distal half, second vein without setae; wing apex with one stout seta; cilia arise ventrally close to anterior margin. Tergites with median pair of setae longer than distance between their bases; sculpture on lateral thirds with short longitudinal lines giving appearance of microtrichia; posterior margin of VIII with complete comb; tergite X with no longitudinal split.

Related and similar species

The genus Pseudodendrothrips includes 17 described species, but the significance of some of the species in which the body colour is mainly yellow remains conjectural. P. darci is possibly the same species as P. bhatti Kudo from Japan, and these two are both very similar to the widespread species that lives on mulberry tree leaves, P. mori (Niwa) although that has no dark markings on the head and pronotum (Mound, 1999).

Distribution data

Area of origin

Australia or possibly S.E. Asia

Distribution

Eastern and northern Australia (probably also S.E. Asia)

Biological data

Life history

Breeding on leaves

Host plants

Ficus virensF. oppositaF. coronataMorus sp. (Moraceae)

Tospoviruses vectored

None

Crop damage

None reported

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Pseudodendrothrips darci (Girault)

Original name and synonyms

  • Proscirtothrips darci Girault, 1930: 1

Oz thrips taxa