OzThrips

Thysanoptera in Australia

Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Female macropterous; body brown to yellowish brown, abdomen often yellow, antennal segments I-VI largely yellow with brown apices; tarsi yellow, hind tibiae yellow with small brown area, mid and fore tibiae yellow at base and apex; forewings brown with small pale cross bands subasally, medially and at apex. Head with cheeks convex. Antennae 8-segmented, III and IV with sensorium simple, VIII twice as long as VII. Pronotum reticulate, anterior angles flattened and protruding. Pterothorax and abdominal segment II strongly constricted to a wasp waist. Mesonotum with median longitudinal division. Metanotum with indistinct sculptured triangle, with one pair of major setae arising near anterior margin. Forewing curved forward at apex, first vein with about five dark setae and two setae distally; second vein with a row of widely spaced setae. Abdominal tergite II with extensive anterolateral areas of recurved claw-like microtrichia; tergites and sternites III-VII with paired submedian areas of areolar sculpture; VIII with broad crapsedum, setae less than half length of X; median split on X complete.

Related and similar species

Only one species is placed in this genus. However, this is distinguished from several other genera, such as Elixothrips and Astrothrips, on character states that are probably rather trivial, such as the length of the microtrichia on the wing veins, and the sculpture of the tergites at the insertion points of the dorso-ventral abdominal muscles.

Distribution data

Described from Surinam, widespread in Carribean islands to southern Florida; also Azores, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, Fiji, New Zealand, eastern Australia (between Taree in NSW and Cape Tribulation in Qld).

Biological data

Host plants

Adults collected from various plants, but with few records of larvae; probably polyphagous.

Life history

Presumably breeding on leaves

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Anisopilothrips venustulus (Priesner)

Original name and synonyms

  • Heliothrips venustulus Priesner, 1923
  • Astrothrips angulatus Hood, 1925

Oz thrips taxa