Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body brown, legs mainly yellow, major setae dark brown; antennal segment I brown, II yellowish in apical half, III almost entirely yellow, IV–V shaded at apex, VI brown in apical half, VII brown; eyes with no pigmented facets; fore wing light brown but slightly paler just distal to clavus. Head as long as wide, cheeks rounded; ocellar setae III small, just anterior to triangle; postocular setae I and III sub-equal, II and IV minute. Antennal segment I with no dorso-apical setae; sensoria on III–IV not elongate. Pronotum with faint transverse lines of sculpture, 2 pairs of long posteroangular setae, 3 pairs of posteromarginal setae. Mesonotal campaniform sensilla present, median setal pair in front of posterior margin. Metanotum closely striate, median setal pair not at anterior margin, campaniform sensilla present. Fore wing first vein with 3 distal setae; second vein with about 10 setae; clavus with discal seta. Prosternal ferna complete medially; meso and meta furca without spinula. Tergites I–IV with a few small craspedal teeth near posterolateral angles, progressively extending medially on V–VII; VIII with complete comb; paired ctenidia present on VI–VIII; IX with 2 pairs of campaniform sensilla, median dorsal setae stout but not reaching posterior margin. Sternites and pleurotergites with no discal setae; sternite II with 2 pairs of posteromarginal setae, III–VII with 3 pairs, median pair on VII arising in front of margin; sternites V–VI with transverse pore plate medially.

Male. Similar to female, but thorax almost yellow; tergal craspedal teeth similar to female, but no comb on VIII; tergite IX with 4 median setae almost in straight line; sternites III–VII with transverse pore plate, posterior margins with no teeth.

Related and similar species

The genus Stenchaetothrips currently includes 32 species, all associated with Poaceae and all originally from the Old World tropics. S. bambusicola differs from the rice thrips, S. biformis, in having metanotal campaniform sensilla present, and the male with the thorax largely yellow.

Distribution data

General distribution

Known only from Australia.

Australian distribution

Northern Territory.

Biological data

Life history

Feeding and breeding on leaves.

Host plants

Bambusa arnhemica (Poaceae).

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Stenchaetothrips bambusicola Mound

Original name and synonyms

• Stenchaetothrips bambusicola Mound, 2011: 32

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