Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body bicoloured, mainly yellow; base of fore femora shaded, abdominal segment X and distal half of IX dark brown; antennal segments V–VIII light brown; fore wing including clavus weakly shaded in basal half with apex pale. Antennae 8-segmented, segment I with no dorso-apical setae, sensoria on III–IV simple. Head with anterior margin slightly conical, cheeks short and straight; compound eyes with 5 pigmented facets; ocellar setae pair I far apart; III arising between mid-points of posterior ocelli; maxillary palps 2-segmented. Pronotum weakly trapezoidal, posterior margin with 3–4 pairs of setae, outer posteroangular setae slightly shorter than inner pair.. Prosternal basantra granulate, with 2–4 pairs of setae; fernal plates with very slender median connection; meso and meta furca without spinula. Mesonotal anterior campaniform sensilla present, median pair of setae distant from posterior margin. Metanotum medially with irregular longitudinal sculpture; median setae just behind anterior margin, closer to lateral pair than to each other; no campaniform sensilla. Fore wing slender, first vein with 7 setae on basal half, 3 widely spaced setae on distal half; second vein with 2–4 widely spaced setae; clavus with 4 or 5 veinal setae but no discal seta; posterior fringe wavy. Tergal sculpture weak but complete medially; II–VIII with broad craspedum, campaniform sensilla close to posterior margin; tergites V–VIII with few microtrichia laterally on 3 or 4 sculpture lines; setal pair S2 on VIII three times as long as S1; IX with median dorsal setae long and stout; tergite X longer than IX, curving slightly ventrally, with complete split. Sternites with no marginal craspedum, II with 2 discal setae, 2 pairs of marginal setae; III–VI with irregular row of about 9 discal setae, VII with about 12 medially, no submarginal setae.

Male not known.

Related and similar species

The genus Masimithrips comprises six species, all from northern Australia. These share most character states with the species of Monothrips, but have only two maxillary palp segments and lack sternal craspeda. Aliceathrips species lack setae on the prosternal basantra, and have the head different in shape, and the species of Caprithrips are all wingless and have no long pronotal setae. The female of tanyoeikus has tergite X longer than in any other member of the genus, and setal pair S2 on tergite VIII are also exceptionally long.

Distribution data

General distribution

Known only from Australia.

Australian distribution

Northern Territory.

Biological data

Life History

Feeding and breeding on leaves

Host plants

Native grasses (Poaceae).

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Masamithrips tanyoeikus Mound

Original name and synonyms

• Masamithrips tanyoeikus Mound, 2011: 25

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