OzThrips

Thysanoptera in Australia

Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Macropterous, strongly bicoloured; body and legs brown, abdominal segments V–VI yellow with dark tergal antecostal ridge; tarsi yellow, tibiae variably yellow at base and apex; antennal segments I–III yellow, IV pale near base, V–VIII light brown; fore wing sub-basal pale area with stout costal setae, distal half of wing almost uniformly shaded. Head with occipital carina close to eyes; ocellar triangle transversely striate; ocellar setae III arise outside ocellar triangle; three pairs of postocular setae, median pair long; postoccipital area transversely striate. Pronotum anterior third transversely reticulate with markings inside reticles; blotch with narrow transverse reticulation, markings between main striae. Metanotal reticulation almost equiangular medially, many markings inside reticles. Fore wing swollen at sub-basal area, sometimes with one seta on second vein. Tergite I medially with prominent microtrichiate craspedum, II–VIII with complete microtrichiate craspedum. Sternites with no discal microtrichia mesad of marginal setae S2; posterior margins with lobed craspeda bearing long microtrichia between each pair of marginal setae; sternite VII medially with neither discal nor marginal microtrichia, three pairs of setae arise sub-marginally.

Male similar to female, sternites without pore plates.

Related and similar species

The basally swollen fore wing is not recorded in any of the other 40 species in the genus Hydatothrips. However, similar lobed craspeda on the sternites occur in three Australian species in this genus.

Distribution data

Known only from Lord Howe Island, New South Wales, Australia

Biological data

Host plants

Parsonsia howeana (Apocynaceae)

Life history

Feeding and breeding on leaves

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Hydatothrips aliceae Mound & Tree

Original name and synonyms

  • Hydatothrips aliceae Mound & Tree, 2009

Oz thrips taxa