Distinguishing features

Both sexes fully winged. Body and legs white, head dark brown dorsally but white ventro-laterally, tergites III–VII with 2 pairs of small dark spots laterally, VIII with a single pair; antennal segments I–IV white, V–VIII dark brown; fore wing light brown with 3 pale areas that do not extend to the posterior margin, sub-basally, medially and apically, extreme apex weakly shaded, clavus dark on distal half. Head reticulate with tuberculate areas posterior to compound eyes; ocellar setae III minute, on anterolateral margins of triangle. Antennae 8-segmented, sense cone on VI arising on distal half of segment, scarcely reaching antennal apex. Pronotum transversely reticulate, all setae minute. Metanotum with elongate reticulation. Tergites II–VIII with longitudinal reticulation, setae S1 and S2 elongate, but remaining setae minute; VIII with posteromarginal comb weak, IX without discal microtrichia on posterior half.
Male smaller and paler than female, head mainly white, tergites without dark spots; fore wing pale bands extend to posterior margin of wing.

Related species

The colour of D. viticola is unique amongst Australian species of Dendrothrips, although this species is similar to D. vitex that is known from Vitex species in both South Africa and Malaysia. The Old World genus Dendrothrips currently includes 56 described species, mainly from Africa and Asia. The metathoric endofurca is greatly enlarged, "lyre-shaped", extending into the mesothorax, the sides of the metathorax are greatly swollen, the hind coxae are wider than long, the fore wing cilia arise ventrally well behind the anterior margin, and the apex of the fore wing is recurved without a prominent terminal seta. The form of the wing apex distinguishes the members of this genus from the other species placed in the Dendrothripinae.

Biological data

Collected from Vitex acuminata [Verbenaceae]

Distribution data

Known only from two specimens taken at Jabiru in Northern Territory.

Family name

THRIPIDAE - DENDROTHRIPINAE

Species name

Dendrothrips viticola Mound & Tree

Original name and synonyms

Dendrothrips viticola Mound & Tree, 2016: 576.

References

Mound LA & Tree DJ (2016) Genera of the leaf-feeding Dendrothripinae (Thysanoptera, Thripidae), with new species from Australia and Sulawesi, Indonesia. Zootaxa 4109 (5): 569–582.