OzThrips

Thysanoptera in Australia

Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body, legs and antennae dark brown, antennal segment II darkest; major setae on abdominal apex dark. Fore wing uniformly brown. Antennae 8-segmented; sensorium simple on III, forked on IV. Head reticulate on posterior third, projecting slightly in front of eyes, cheeks straight; eyes large. Pronotum trapezoidal, reticulate, setae small, posteromarginal setal pair S8 slightly more prominent. Mesonotum reticulate, median pair of setae not close to posterior margin. Metascutum reticulate, median setae arise medially, campaniform sensilla near posterior. Mesothoracic sternopleural sutures incomplete at anterior margin; furca with prominent spinula. Fore wing first vein with 5–6 basal and 1–2 distal setae, second vein with 2 setae; clavus with veinal setae varying 3–6. Abdominal tergites I–VIII reticulate, with broad unlobed but slightly dentate posteromarginal craspedum, paired campaniform sensilla close to posterior margin; posteromarginal setae arise slightly in front of margin; tergite IX median dorsal setae long and wide apart, major setae short. Sternites II–VII reticulate, with broad unlobed posteromarginal craspedum, on VII not developed mesad of setae S2; sternites II–VII posteromarginal setae arise in front of margin, III–VII with discal setae indistinguishable from marginals.

Female aptera. Colour and structure similar to macroptera. Mesonotum reticulate, with 2 pairs of campaniform sensilla anteromedially, 2 pairs of setae near posterior margin. Metascutum reticulate, transverse with 2 pairs of setae medially; campaniform sensilla near posterior. Mesothoracic sternopleural suture weak or absent; furca with small spinula.

Male aptera. Colour and structure similar to female. Abdominal tergite IX with all setae small; sternites III–VII each with transverse pore plate close to antecostal ridge.

Related and similar species

The genus Ozanaphothrips comprises six species, all from Australia. O. fenarius is one of two members of this genus with craspeda on the sternites as well as the tergites, and it differs from O. condaminei in being uniformly brown.

Distribution data

General distribution

Known only from Australia (taken in quarantine in Japan).

Australian distribution

Western Australia, South Australia, Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales.

Biological data

Life history

Feeding and breeding on leaves.

Host plants

Phalaris paradoxaTriticum sp., also other grasses (Poaceae); adults taken from Pinus pinaster (Pinaceae), Conostylis sp. (Haemodoraceae).

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Ozanaphothrips fenarius Mound & Masumoto

Original name and synonyms

  • Ozanaphothrips fenarius Mound & Masumoto, 2009: 63

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