Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body and legs light brown, tarsi and tibiae mainly yellow; antennal segments I–II and IV–VIII brown, III paler but with apex shaded; fore wing pale with median brown band. Head wider than long, with transverse lines on posterior third, ocellar region without sculpture; ocellar setae III anterior to posterior ocelli, just outside triangle; eyes with 6 weakly pigmented facets. Antennae 8-segmented, III–IV with sensorium forked; II–III without microtrichia; VI weakly pedicellate; VIII longer than VII. Pronotum almost without sculpture; with no long setae. Mesonotum with few transverse lines. Metascutum irregularly reticulate, median setae behind anterior margin; campaniform sensilla present medially. Fore wing first vein with about 7 setae on basal half, 2 setae medially, 2 setae distally; second vein with 8–9 setae including 1–2 basal to vein fork; clavus with 6 veinal setae including one seta at base. Tergites I–II fully sculptured medially, III–VI with faint lines between median setae; VIII with comb long but irregular, spiracles large.

Male unknown.

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. Despite the enlarged spiracles on tergites I and VIII, the shape of the head in this species with 8-segmented antennae suggests that it is not related to the grass-living members of Anaphothrips. The pale fore wing with a transverse shaded band is particularly unusual.

Distribution data

General distribution

Known only from Australia.

Australian distribution

Queensland.

Biological data

Life history

Possibly feeding on leaves.

Host plants

Adults were collected by fogging Nothofagus moorei (Fagaceae).

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Anaphothrips nimbus Mound & Masumoto

Original name and synonyms

• Anaphothrips nimbus Mound & Masumoto, 2009: 46.

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