OzThrips

Thysanoptera in Australia

Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body and head brown, femora all yellow distally; tarsi and tibiae yellow; antennal segment I light brown, II–III yellow, IV yellow at base with distal half light brown, V light brown at base with distal half dark brown, VI–VIII dark brown; fore wings pale Antennae 8-segmented, III–IV with forked sensorium; I without pair of dorso-apical setae. Head with ocellar setae I and II in transverse row anterior to fore ocellus, III absent (?placed behind posterior ocelli); four pairs of postocular setae, median pair longest and close to posterior ocelli. Pronotum trapezoidal, no long posteroangular setae, six pairs of small posteromarginal setae; discal area with about 30 small setae. Metanotum medially weakly reticulate, median setae arising well behind anterior margin, paired campaniform sensilla present. Prosternal basantra with about 10 setae. Mesothoracic furca with spinula, metafurca with spinula faintly indicated or absent. Fore wing slender, setae short, first vein with four setae on distal half; second vein with three to five setae; clavus with two to four veinal setae and one discal seta; posteromarginal cilia variable from straight to undulating. Coxae of hind legs with backwardly projecting curved spur; hind femora inflated; hind tibia with stout spur on inner apex directed toward midline. Tergites II–VIII with broad smooth craspedum, I with narrow craspedum at least laterally; tergite IX with two pairs of campaniform sensilla, major setae with apices expanded. Sternites II–VII with broad craspedum lobed between marginal setae, II with two pairs of marginal setae, III–VII with three pairs (lateral pair commonly duplicated to produce four pairs); sternite III (rarely also IV) with small circular pore plate medially.

Male macroptera. Smaller than female; hind coxae without spur; sternite III with slender transverse pore plate, IV (rarely V) with incomplete transverse pore plate sometimes reduced to two or more circles; tergite IX produced dorsally into stout conical tubercle, bearing pair of stout but partially fused setae.

Related and similar species

The genus Cyrilthrips includes only one species. The presence of tergal and sternal craspeda, and the presence of the median tubercle on tergite IX in males, suggest that the generaChaetanaphothrips and Tusothrips are most closely related. The chaetotaxy of the ocellar region is unique among Thripinae.

Distribution data

General distribution

Known only from Australia.

Australian distribution

Queensland.

Biological data

Life history

Feeding and breeding within folded-leaf galls. One leaf margin overlaps the othr margin like an envelope.

Host plants

Austrosteenisia blackii (Fabaceae).

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Cyrilthrips cecidis Tree & Mound

Original name and synonyms

  • Cyrilthrips cecidis Tree & Mound, 2009: 1156

References

Tree DJ & Mound LA. 2009. Gall-induction by an Australian insect of the family Thripidae (Thysanoptera: Terebrantia). Journal of Natural History 43: 1147-1158.

Oz thrips taxa