Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body and legs yellow, abdominal segments IX–X uniformly shaded light brown, fore femora weakly shaded on external margin; fore wings pale; antennal segment I white, II light brown, III–IV pale with apex variably weakly shaded, V mainly light brown, VI–VIII brown. Antennae 8-segmented, I with no dorso-apical setae, III–IV with sensorium simple, III relatively short. Head projecting conically in front of eyes, cheeks almost parallel; compound eyes with 5 pigmented facets; ocellar setae I present, III 2.0 times as long as an ocellus and arising between anterior margins of posterior ocelli; maxillary palps 3-segmented. Pronotum slightly wider at posterior than anterior; posteroangular setae almost 2.0 times as long as antennal segment III. Prosternal basantra with no setae; ferna weakly continuous medially; meso and metafurca without spinula. Mesonotal anterior campaniform sensilla present. Metanotum with weak longitudinal sculpture, median setae near anterior margin, closer to lateral pair than to each other; no campaniform sensilla. Fore wing slender, first vein with 3 widely spaced setae on distal half; second vein with few widely spaced setae; clavus with 4–5 veinal setae, no discal seta. Tergites with weak transverse sculpture medially; II–VIII with craspedum present, campaniform sensilla near posterior margin; tergite IX median dorsal setae not stout, scarcely extending beyond posterior margin, posterior marginal pair I slightly shorter than pair II; X with median split complete. Sternites III–VII with 5–9 discal setae, posterior margin with no craspedum; sternite II with 2 pairs of marginal setae, III–VII with 3 pairs, all arising at margin on VII.

Male macroptera smaller and paler than female; tergite IX with pair of short straight, setiform processes; sternites III–V with transverse pore plate on antecostal area.

Related and similar species

The genus Aliceathrips comprises five species, all from the northern half of Australia. A. sorghi is similar in structure to A. australiensis but the females have unusually short antennae and long ocellar setae III, and the male bears a pair of short setiform processes on tergite IX.

Distribution data

General distribution

Known only from Australia.

Australian distribution

Western Australia.

Biological data

Life history

Feeding and breeding on leaves.

Host plants

Sorghum sp. (Poaceae).

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Aliceathrips sorghi Mound

Original name and synonyms

• Aliceathrips sorghi Mound, 2011: 12

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