Distinguishing features

Both sexes micropterous. Body and legs brown, tube darkest; antennae dark brown with extreme base of III yellow; major setae weakly shaded. Head longer than wide, cheeks weakly convex, slightly constricted behind eyes, with few weak setae; ocelli small; postocular setae finely pointed, longer than dorsal length of eyes; postoccipital ridge without internal apophyses; maxillary stylets close together medially, retracted to postocular setae. Antennae 8-segmented, III with 3 slender sense cones, IV with 4; VIII constricted at base to small collar. Pronotum transverse, with weak sculpture; anteromarginal setae small, remaining major setae bluntly pointed. Metanotum without sculpture, one pair of prominent setae medially. Fore tarsus with small tooth. Fore wing lobe very small. Prosternal basantra not developed; ferna transverse and almost meeting in mid-line; mesopresternum reduced to two lateral triangles. Pelta irregularly D-shaped, sometimes with very small basal wings; tergal wing-retaining setae small and straight, major setae long and finely pointed, on IX shorter than tube.
Male similar to female, but postoccipital ridge with pair of weak internal apophyses; fore tarsal tooth larger with lower margin swollen; tergite IX S2 setae short and stout; sternite VIII with small transverse pore plate.

Related species

C. tofti differs from the other members of Cartomothrips in having four, instead of three, sense cones on the fourth antennal segment, and the pore plate on the eighth sternite of males is much smaller. Although it shares many character states with the members of Cartomothrips, including the almost uniformly brown antennae, the relationships of this species will remain doubtful until winged forms and the real host-association are discovered.

Biological data

Collected from base of Gahnia procera.

Distribution data

Known only from New Zealand (NN)

Family name

PHLAEOTHRIPIDAE, PHLAEOTHRIPINAE

Species name

Cartomothrips tofti Mound & Walker

Original name and synonyms

Cartomothrips tofti Mound & Walker, 2012: 63.

References

Mound LA & Walker AK (2012) The Australia-New Zealand connection re-visited, with two new species of Cartomothrips (Thysanoptera, Phalaeothripidae). Zootaxa 3487: 58–64.