OzThrips

Thysanoptera in Australia

Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Female macropterous; body dark brown; all tarsi and bases and apices of tibiae yellow; antennal segment II dark brown, III and IV yellow with apical half light brown, V mainly yellow with apex shaded; fore wing brown, with two white cross bands, sub-basally and sub-apically, also extreme apex pale. Head not constricted at base. Antennae 8-segmented, III and IV with long forked sensorium, VIII at least twice as long as VII. Pronotum reticulate, many markings within each reticle, no long setae. Metanotum irregularly reticulate, one pair of major setae near anterior margin. Tarsi elongate but 1-segmented; hind coxae with coiled internal apodeme. Fore wing second vein with about six setae; costal cilia almost as long as costal setae. Tergite lateral thirds with transverse, closely-parallel lines, no markings between these; VIII with craspedum medially, tooth-like microtrichia laterally; median split on X about half as long as tergite.

Male tergite IX with three pairs of stout setae medially, the median pair thorn-like; sternites III-VII with slender transverse pore plate.

Related and similar species

Caliothrips is a genus of 20 species. Most of these are from the New World, with ten in North or Meso-America and three from Carribean Islands. Four species are from Africa and three from Asia, and two species extend into Australia. C. striatopterus has the abdominal tergites with transverse striae, but unlike C. graminicola the extreme apex of the forewing is white.

Distribution data

Java; widespread in the warmer parts of Australia from Brisbane to Thursday Is., in the Torres Straits; also Broken Hill (N.S.W.), Tennant Creek in Northern Territory, and Broome and Kununurra (W.A.).

Biological data

Host plants

Various Poaceae, including sugar cane and Zea mays.

Life history

Presumably breeding on the leaves of grasses

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Caliothrips striatopterus (Kobus)

Original name and synonyms

  • Caliothrips striatopterus Kobus, 1893
  • Heliothrips sculptilis Hood, 1918

Oz thrips taxa