OzThrips

Thysanoptera in Australia

Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body yellow varying to pale brown; antennal segments I–II yellow, III light brown, IV–VIII brown; fore wings distinctly but weakly shaded. Antennae 8-segmented, III–IV with forked sensorium. Head wider than long; vertex, excluding ocellar triangle, with sculpture lines; 3 pairs of ocellar setae, pair III longer than longitudinal diameter of an ocellus, arising between posterior margins of hind ocelli; 4 pairs of small postocular setae. Pronotum with weak transverse lines of sculpture, 2 pairs of long posteroangular setae; median posteromarginal setae 1.5 times as long as remaining 3 pairs of posteromarginals. Mesonotal anterior campaniform sensilla present. Metanotum with irregular reticulation posteromedially; campaniform sensilla present; median setae at anterior margin. Mesofurca with spinula. Fore wing first and second veins with complete row of setae; clavus with 5 veinal and one discal setae. Tergites without craspeda; V–VII without ctenidia but with microtrichia on lines of sculpture laterally; sculpture lines extend to median setae; VIII with paired ctenidia anterolateral to spiracle, posteromarginal comb of long almost reularly spaced microtrichia; tergite X no longer than IX. Sternites without discal setae; VII with setae S1 arising at margin.

Male macroptera. Similar to female but smaller; tergite VIII comb long and regular, median setal pair on IX longer than sub-median pair; sternites III–VI or VII with small transversely oval or circular pore plate; sternite VIII posterior margin with several long microtrichia.

Related and similar species

Species of the genus Pseudanaphothrips share many character states with species of Frankliniella, but none of them have tergal ctenidia so well-formed. Currently the genus includes nine species, all but one from Australia. However, some of these are based on very few specimens, and these remain particularly difficult to distinguish (Mound & Palmer, 1981). In particular, P. pallidus and P. frankstoni are not satisfactorily distinguished, although P. pallidus appears to be distinguished by the shaded forewings, and the darker third antennal segment. Moreover, ocellar setae pair III are slightly longer, but the pronotal posteromarginal median setae are slightly shorter.

Distribution data

General distribution

Known only from Australia.

Australian distribution

Victoria, Tasmania.

Biological data

Life history

Possibly breeding on leaves?

Host plants

Collected from Nothofagus cunninghamii.

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Pseudanaphothrips pallidus (Steele)

Original name and synonyms

  • Isochaetothrips pallidus Steele, 1940: 328

References

Mound LA. 2002. The Thrips and Frankliniella genus groups: the phylogenetic significance of ctenidia. Pp. 379-386 in Marullo R & Mound LA [eds] Thrips and Tospoviruses: Proceedings of the 7th International Symposium on Thysanoptera. Australian National Insect Collection, Canberra.

Oz thrips taxa