Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body and femora brown to dark brown, tibiae yellow at base and apex, tarsi yellow; antennae brown with segment III yellow in basal fifth and segments VIII–IX almost yellow; fore wing pale sub-basally including distal half of clavus, then with dark brown transverse band, distal two-thirds lighter brown. Antennae 9-segmented; segment I with process slightly toothed distally, III long with external margin slightly concave; sensoria on III–IV incomplete dorsally, with weak internal markings; IX slightly shorter than VIII. Head produced in front of eyes bearing ocellar setae pair I; pair II arising on anterior margins of ocellar triangle, pair III small and arising between posterior ocelli; 3 to 5 pairs of postocular setae in widely spaced row; cheeks strongly convex. Pronotum with transverse reticulation, posterior margin with 5 pairs of small setae. Mesonotum with no microtrichia; metanotum with reticulation forming concentric circles on anterior half; sculpture lines on posterior half with stout microtrichia. Fore wing veinal setae short, scarcely longer than width of a vein. Fore tibial apex with two stout ventro-lateral setae. Abdominal tergite I with transverse lines of sculpture medially bearing small microtrichia; II–VIII with narrow transverse reticulation medially, bearing small microtrichia on anterior lines of each segment; tergite VIII median setae more than 0.5 as long as tergite; dorsal setae on IX–X relatively short. Sternite II with 2 pairs of posteromarginal setae, III–VI with 3 pairs also a transverse row of about 13–16 discal setae.
Male not known

Related species

Twelve species are currently described in the genus Cranothrips, 11 from Australia and one from South Africa (Pereyra & Mound, 2009). C. ibisca is remarkable for its relatively large size and dark body, together with the absence of long setae.

Biological data

Known only from a few specimens taken in flowers of the tree Pentaceras australis [Rutaceae], although this is not neccessarily the host plant.

Distribution data

Australia (southeast Queensland, Lamington National Park)

Family name

MELANTHRIPIDAE

Species name

Cranothrips ibisca Pereyra & Mound

Original name and synonyms

Cranothrips ibisca Pereyra & Mound, 2009: 157

References

Pereyra V & Mound LA (2009) Phylogenetic relationships within the genus Cranothrips (Thysanoptera, Melanthripidae) with consideration of host associations and disjunct distributions within the family. Systematic Entomology 34: 151–161.