Thrips endemic to New Zealand

Of the 127 species of Thysanoptera listed from New Zealand, 50 are not recorded from anywhere else in the world, and these thrips seem likely to be endemic to this country. The Thripidae genus Adelphithrips clearly represents an endemic radiation, and undescribed species of this genus are known to exist. The Thripidae genera Anaphrygmothrips, Dikrothrips, and Sigmothrips, each comprising a single species, also Physemothrips with two species, are all considered endemic. In contrast, although Karphothrips was described from New Zealand it is now considered an introduction from southern Australia, and Lomatothrips comprises two species of which one is endemic to New Zealand but the second is from Australia. Within the large and worldwide genus Thrips there is an interesting small radiation of at least five species that is endemic to New Zealand.

At species level, the Phlaeothripidae exhibit a far greater level of endemicity, almost all involving fungus-feeding species. Thus Heptathrips, Nesothrips and Ozothrips in the spore-feeding Idolothripinae each have considerable New Zealand radiations, and amongst the hyphal-feeding Phlaeothripinae there is considerable diversity within the genera Deplorothrips, Hoplandrothrips and Psalidothrips. Each of these genera exhibits trans-Tasman relationships, and the single species placed in the genus Anaglyptothrips, although described from New Zealand, has subsequently been found in eastern Australia and on Norfolk Island.