Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body and legs yellow, abdominal tergites II–VII with pair of brown areas anterolaterally; antennal segment I white, II brown, III yellow, IV dark brown, V brown with basal third yellow, VI–IX brown; fore wings weakly shaded around vein fork and clavus apex; major setae on abdomen brown. Head wider than long, with transverse sculpture behind eyes extending weakly to ocellar region; eyes without pigmented facets; ocellar setae III vary in position, usually within triangle but sometimes on anterior margins. Antennae 9-segmented; II with few microtrichia, III–IV with sensorium forked; VI weakly pedicellate. Pronotum with transverse sculpture lines; with no long setae, numerous discal setae. Metascutum reticulate; median setae near anterior margin; campaniform sensilla present. Fore wing first vein with setal row irregular, about 12 setae on basal half, 4–6 on distal half, this row sometimes almost continuous; second vein with 18–22 setae including 2–4 basal to vein fork; clavus with 7–8 veinal setae and one at base. Abdominal tergites III–VII with no sculpture medially; irregular anastomosing lines laterally extending just mesad of setae S2, with few weak microtrichia; tergite VIII comb with long, slender teeth. Sternite VII setae S1 far anterior to posterior margin.

Male macroptera. Similar to female but usually without dark tergal markings; tergite VIII with long comb; IX with two pairs of long, thorn-like setae medially; sternites III–VII with C-shaped pore plates.

Related and similar species

There are 43 species of Anaphothrips known from Australia, out of a total of 79 species worldwide (Mound & Masumoto, 2009). Many of these species have the antennae clearly 9-segmented, others clearly have only 8 segments, but several species have an intermediate condition with segment VI bearing a partial and often oblique transverse suture. This large species, with its strikingly bicoloured antennae and tergites, is presumably polyphagous.

Distribution data

General distribution

Known only from Australia

Australian distribution

Queensland and New South Wales.

Biological data

Life history

Flower-living.

Host plants

Hibbertia scandens (Dilleniaceae), Pimelia latifolia (Thymeleaceae), Solanum mauritianum (Solanaceae), Helicia glabrifolia (Proteaceae), Lantana sp. (Verbenaceae), Breynia oblongifolia(Euphorbiaceae) and Synoum glandulosum (Meliaceae).

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Anaphothrips gillespiei Mound & Masumoto

Original name and synonyms

• Anaphothrips gillespiei Mound & Masumoto, 2009: 37.

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