Distinguishing features

Female apterous (rarely fully winged). Body dark brown with red hypodermal pigment; posterior margin of metanotum chalky white in life; head commonly pale behind each eye; antennal segment III variably pale; fore wings (when present) brown. Head slightly longer than wide, dorsal surface tuberculate, reticulate; ocelli absent; compound eyes directed forwards, larger dorsally than ventrally; postocular setae short; maxillary stylets close together, retracted to compound eyes. Antenna 7-segmented; segment III with 1 small sense cone, IV with 2 larger sense cones; segments IV–VII each with a distinct pedicel. Pronotum strongly sculptured; major setae small, with widely expanded apices; epimeral sutures incomplete; basantra absent. Mesonotum and metanotum broad, with tuberculate sculpture; metanotum with numerous scattered, blunt setae; metathoracic sternopleural sutures small. Pelta broad; tergites sculptured, with numerous discal setae; tergite IX posteromarginal setae S1 broadly expanded at apex, shorter than the finely acute S2 setae; tube shorter than head, broader at base than at apex; anal setae shorter than tube. Macroptera with ocelli present; eyes larger; metanotum narrower; pelta irregular but usually narrower at base than at apex, with thin, irregular lateral lobes; tergites II–VII each with 2 pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae, posterior pair broad, flattened; fore wing swollen basally, angled in proximal third, then parallel-sided, without duplicated cilia.
Male variable in size; large males with fore tarsal hamus greatly enlarged; fore tibiae bearing an apical tubercle on inner margin; tergite IX setae S2 short, acute; sternite VIII with no pore plate.

Related species

The genus Strepterothrips comprises 15 described species from around the world, of which 9 are endemic to Australia (Mound & Tree, 2015) with one of these also common in New Zealand.

Biological data

This thrips is found commonly on dead twigs and branches of a wide range of trees and shrubs, and presumably feeds on fungal hyphae.

Distribution data

Widespread across Australia, and common in New Zealand (ND, AK, CL, BP, TK, WN / SD, NN).

Family name

PHLAEOTHRIPIDAE, PHLAEOTHRIPINAE

Species name

Strepterothrips tuberculatus (Girault)

Original name and synonyms

Rhopalothrips tuberculatus Girault, 1929: 2

References

Mound LA & Tree DJ (2015) Fungus-feeding Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripinae of the Idiothrips genus-group in Australia, with nine new species. Zootaxa 4034 (2): 325–341.