OzThrips

Thysanoptera in Australia

Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body and legs brown, tarsi and apices of tibiae paler; antennal segments I–II and IV–IX brown, III yellow; fore wings shaded. Head as long as wide; eyes with 6 pigmented facets; ocellar setae III at margin of triangle, anterior to hind ocelli. Antennae 9-segmented, III–IV weakly constricted at apex, IV with sensorium forked, III with sensorium apparently simple, inner branch short and parallel to segment apex; II without microtrichia, VI not pedicellate, IX longer than VIII. Pronotum with anastomosing striae, with no long setae. Metascutum reticulate, median setae far behind anterior margin; campaniform sensilla present. Fore wing first vein with about 7 setae basally, 2 setae medially, 2 or 3 setae distally; second vein with 11 to 14 setae, including one seta basal to vein fork; clavus with 4–5 veinal setae plus one seta at base. Abdominal tergites median setae small, wide apart; small dentate microtrichia on sculpture lines lateral to S2 setae; VIII with no marginal comb.

Male microptera. Colour similar to female; fore wing lobe as long as pronotum; abdominal tergites with sculpture weak; tergite IX with 2 pairs of stout setae medially; sternites III–VII with very large C-shaped glandular area.

Related and similar species

There are 43 species of Anaphothrips known from Australia, out of a total of 79 species worldwide (Mound & Masumoto, 2009). Many of these species have the antennae clearly 9-segmented, others clearly have only 8 segments, but several species have an intermediate condition with segment VI bearing a partial and often oblique transverse suture. The pronotal setae are short, and the forewing clavus has no discal seta. Some species in this genus can be recognised only in the male sex, but A. carlylei females are unusual in lacking a comb on tergite VIII. The micropterous male of A. carlylei described here was not collected together with females.

Distribution data

General distribution

Known only from Australia.

Australian distribution

Queensland, Australian Capital Territory and South Australia.

Biological data

Life history

Not known.

Host plants

Taken from Dianella spp. (Phormiaceae) and grasses.

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Anaphothrips carlylei Girault

Original name and synonyms

  • Anaphothrips carlylei Girault, 1928: 1

References

Mound LA & Masumoto M. 2009. Australian Thripinae of the Anaphothrips genus-group (Thysanoptera), with three new genera and thirty-three new species. Zootaxa 2042: 1-76.http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2009/f/zt02042p076.pdf

Oz thrips taxa