Distinguishing features

Both sexes fully winged. Female brown, tarsi and bases and apices of tibiae yellow; antennal segments III-V with pedicels yellow; fore wing clear at base and apex, brown medially; major setae dark. Head strongly sculptured, with 3 pairs of ocellar setae, pair III small, arising between posterior ocelli. Antennae 8-segmented, segment I without paired dorso-apical setae; segments III and IV each with a short apical neck and long forked sense cone; segment V with few microtrichia. Pronotum broad, reticulate, with 2 pairs of short posteroangular setae and 4 (or 3) pairs of posteromarginals. Metanotum reticulate; median setae short, not at anterior margin. Fore tarsus with small terminal claw. Fore wing 1st vein with 4+4+2 setae; 2nd vein with 12 setae; scale with 5 or 6 marginal setae. Tergite I fully sculptured; tergites II–VII sculptured laterally and in front of median setae and pores, the lateral sculpturing often bearing broad-based microtrichia, median setae small, widely separated; tergal posterior margins with narrow craspedum of minute triangular lobes; tergite VIII with posteromarginal comb complete but slightly irregular; tergite X with median split almost complete.
Male fully winged or micropterous. Similar to female but smaller and paler; tergite VIII with a pair of tubercles or a large, Y-shaped median tubercle, depending on body size, the submedian tergal setae arising near tips of the 'horns'; tergite IX large with a pair of small tubercles mediolaterally each bearing a small seta; sternite III with small oval pore plate.

Related species

Only one species is known in the genus Dikrothrips, and because of the remarkable structure of the males it is difficult to suggest any relationships. The females ressemble species of Dichromothrips but have a pair of setae in front of the first ocellus.

Biological data

Adults and larvae have been found on young expanding leaves of Nestegis lanceolata and N. montana [Oleaceae] (Martin & Mound, 2004).

Distribution data

Known only from New Zealand (AK, TO, RI).

Family name

THRIPIDAE, THRIPINAE

Species name

Dikrothrips diphyes Mound & Walker

Original name and synonyms

Dikrothrips diphyes Mound & Walker, 1982: 64

References

Martin NA & Mound LA. (2004) Host plants for some New Zealand thrips (Thysanoptera: Terebrantia). New Zealand Entomologist 27: 119–123.

Mound LA & Walker AK (1982) Terebrantia (Insecta: Thysanoptera). Fauna of New Zealand 1: 1–113.