Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body and legs yellow, antennal segments I–II yellow, III–V increasingly brown at apex, VI–VIII brown; fore wings and major setae pale. Head transverse, transversely reticulate on posterior third, weakly reticulate between ocelli; ocellar setae III just outside anterior margins of triangle; eyes without pigmented facets. Antennae 8-segmented; III–IV with forked sensorium; II without microtrichia; VI weakly pedicellate. Pronotum with irregular reticulation, posteromarginal setae thickened but no long setae. Mesonotum boldly reticulate. Metascutum boldly reticulate, sometimes with weak internal markings; median setae on anterior third of sclerite, campaniform sensilla present. Fore wing first vein with about 8 setae on basal half and 4 setae on distal half, arranged irregularly; second vein with up to 12 setae including 1–3 setae basal to vein fork; clavus with 7–8 veinal setae and one basal seta; wing setae all more or less spatulate. Tergites III–VII without sculpture medially, lateral thirds with up to 12 rows of stout, dentate microtrichia, sculpture extending just mesad of setae S2; VIII with comb of moderately long fine microtrichia; tergite IX major setae with apices chisel-shaped.

Male macroptera. Similar to female; tergite IX with 3 pairs of short stout setae dorsally, and one pair of longer stout setae posterolaterally; sternites III–VII with slender C-shaped pore plate.

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 as in A. parsonsiae, but several species have an intermediate condition with segment VI bearing a partial and often oblique transverse suture. Spatulate setae, as on the fore wing of A. parsonsiae, are found also on the thorax and head of a few other Australian species of Anaphothrips.

Distribution data

General distribution

Known only from Australia.

Australian distribution

Queensland and Australian Capital Territory.

Biological data

Life history

Feeding and breeding on leaves and flowers.

Host plants

Parsonsia spp. (Apocynaceae).

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Anaphothrips parsonsiae Mound & Masumoto

Original name and synonyms

• Anaphothrips parsonsiae Mound & Masumoto, 2009: 49.

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