Figures

Fig. 1 Antenna and head (dorsal)
Fig. 2 Head, thorax and abdomen
Fig. 3 Head, thorax, abdomen, pleurotergites II and III
Fig. 4 Pronotum
Fig. 5 Meso- and metanotum
Fig. 6 Fore and hind wing
Fig. 7 Sternite V-VII and tergite VII and VIII

Species

Biology

A highly polyphagous species, with adults and larvae found in the flowers and on the leaves of a very wide range of plants.

Distribution

Found throughout Australia, and also established in New Caledonia; collected from but possibly not established in New Zealand.

Recognition

Small to moderate sized thrips, body varying in colour from brown to white; commonly with abdomen brown and head and thorax paler; forewings pale to very weakly shaded; antennae light brown; sometimes with body and basal antennal segments yellowish white. Antennae 7-segmented, sense cone on III & IV small and forked. Head with no setae in front of fore ocellus, one pair on anterior margins of ocellar triangle close to fore ocellus. Pronotum with 2 pairs of posteroangular setae and 4 pairs of posteromarginal setae. Metanotum with elongate reticulation on posterior half, transverse on anterior, median setae not near anterior margin. Forewing first vein with 3 setae on distal half. Tergite II with 3 lateral marginal setae; V-VIII with ctenidia laterally, on VIII posteromesad of spiracle; posteromarginal comb on tergite VIII with a few microtrichia laterally but none medially. Sternites with many discal setae in an irregular row; pleurotergites with 1 to 3 discal setae.

Related species

Amongst the 280 species in this genus, the most closely related is Thrips unispinus from New Guinea and tropical northern Australia, although that has only one pair of long pronotal posteroangular setae.