Thysanoptera in Australia

Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body and legs mainly yellow, abdominal segment X brownish yellow; antennal segments I–IV yellow, V weakly shaded near apex, VI–VIII brown; fore wing pale. Antennae 8-segmented, segment I with no dorso-apical setae, sensoria on III–IV simple. Head relatively long, cheeks almost as long as lateral margins of eyes; compound eyes with 5 pigmented facets; ocellar setae pair I far apart; III arising between mid-points of posterior ocelli; maxillary palps 2-segmented. Pronotum weakly trapezoidal, posterior margin with 4 pairs of setae, 2 pairs of sub-equal posteroangular setae. Prosternal basantra granulate, with 16 setae; fernal plates scarcely connected medially; meso and meta furca without spinula. Mesonotal anterior campaniform sensilla present, median pair of setae distant from posterior margin. Metanotum medially with irregular sculpture; median setae just behind anterior margin, closer to lateral pair than to each other; no campaniform sensilla. Fore wing slender, first vein with 6–8 setae on basal half, 3 widely spaced setae on distal half; second vein with about 5 widely spaced setae; clavus with 4 or 5 veinal setae but no discal seta; posterior fringe wavy. Tergal sculpture weak but complete medially; II–VIII with broad craspedum, campaniform sensilla close to posterior margin; tergites V–VIII with few microtrichia laterally; setal pair S2 on VIII about twice as long as S1; tergite IX with median dorsal setae extending well beyond posterior margin of tergite, stouter than posterior median setae but subequal in length ; X shorter than IX, with complete split. Sternites with no marginal craspedum, II with 7 discal setae, 3 pairs of marginal setae; III–VII with irregular row of 8–10 discal setae; VII with no submarginal setae.

Male not known.

Related and similar species

The genus Masimithrips comprises six species, all from northern Australia. These share most character states with the species of Monothrips, but have only two maxillary palp segments and lack sternal craspeda.Aliceathrips species lack setae on the prosternal basantra, and have the head different in shape, and the species of Caprithrips are all wingless and have no long pronotal setae. M. wyndhami is a particularly elongate species, with relatively slender antennae, the prosternal basantra have an unusually large number of setae, and there are three pairs of marginal setae on the second sternite. The S2 setae on tergite VIII are relatively long, although not as long as in M. tanyoeikus.

Distribution data

General distribution

Known only from Australia.

Australian distribution

Western Australia.

Biological data

Life History

Feeding and breeding on leaves

Host plants

Triodia sp. (Poaceae).

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Masamithrips wyndhami Mound

Original name and synonyms

  • Masamithrips wyndhami Mound, 2011: 27



Oz thrips taxa