Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body and legs yellow, apex of tergite X usually brown; antennal segment VI brown in apical half, VII–VIII brown; fore wings pale. Antennae 8-segmented, segment I with no dorso-apical setae, sensoria on III–IV forked. Head broadest across eyes; compound eyes with 5 weakly pigmented facets; ocellar setae pair I present, pair III close together on anterior tangent to posterior ocelli; maxillary palps 3-segmented. Pronotum weakly trapezoidal; with 8 pairs of posteromarginal setae, pair VIII longest and parallel to pronotal margin. Prosternal basantra weakly granulate with no setae; fernal plates weakly connected medially; meso and meta furca without spinula. Mesonotal anterior campaniform sensilla present, median pair of setae distant from posterior margin. Metanotum weakly reticulate medially; median setae just behind anterior margin; campaniform sensilla present. Fore wing slender, first vein with 6 setae near base, 3 widely spaced setae on distal half; second vein with 4 widely spaced setae; clavus with 5 veinal setae and 1 discal seta; posterior fringe wavy. Tergites weakly sculptured medially; II–VIII with broad craspedum, campaniform sensilla near posterior margin; IX with 2 pairs of campaniform sensilla, median dorsal setae slender; X with complete median split. Sternites with no discal setae; II–VI posterior margin with craspedum forming large lobes between marginal setae; sternite II with 2 pairs of marginal setae, III–VII with 3 pairs, median 2 pairs on VII arise close together.

Male smaller than female; tergite IX median setal pair small and close together; sternites with no pore plates.

Related and similar species

The genus Exothrips includes 19 species from various parts of the Old World tropics. It appears to represent a grass-feeding lineage of species derived from Rhamphothrips, with the head larger relative to the pronotum, the pronotum less elongate, and the prosternal ferna not curving forward medially. Parexothrips differs in the position of ocellar setae pair I, and also in the presence of setae on the prosternum.

Distribution data

General distribution

New Guinea, Australia.

Australian distribution

Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland.

Biological data

Life history

Feeding and breeding on leaves.

Host plants

Various Poaceae, including Sorghum sp.

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Exothrips sacchari (Moulton)

Original name and synonyms

• Anaphothrips sacchari Moulton, 1936: 265

References

Mound LA. 2011. Grass-dependent Thysanoptera of the family Thripidae from Australia. Zootaxa 3064: 1–40. http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2011/f/zt03064p040.pdf