Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body, legs and antennae mainly light brown; antennal segment III paler at base; fore wings uniformly weakly shaded. Antennae 9-segmented, segment I with short serrate process; sensoria on III–IV usually complete dorsally, with internal markings; IX slightly longer than VIII. Head with ocellar setae III small, shorter than length of an ocellus, arising between posterior ocelli; with two irregular rows of small postocular setae. Pronotum with minute microtrichia, all setae minute. Mesonotum almost covered with microtrichia, setae minute. Metanotum with microtrichia on concentric lines at anterior. Fore wing setae shorter than width of veins. Fore tibial apex with ventro-lateral setae minute. Abdominal tergites I–VII with weak sculpture lines medially; tergite VIII median setae more than 0.5 as long as tergite; dorsal setae on IX not elongate. Sternites with numerous small discal setae.
Male smaller and paler than female, antennae dark, tergite I with pair of longitudinal ridges.

Related species

Twelve species are currently described in the genus Cranothrips, 11 from Australia and one from South Africa (Pereyra & Mound, 2009). C. kartus is closely related to C. bellisi, but differs in the position of ocellar setae III and in the antennal sensoria.

Biological data

Known only from a few specimens taken in flowers of Melaleuca radula [Myrtaceae], but this is not necessarily the host plant.

Distribution data

Western Australia, near Perth

Family name

MELANTHRIPIDAE

Species name

Cranothrips kartus Mound

Original name and synonyms

Cranothrips kartus Mound, 1972: 41

References

Mound LA (1972) Further studies on Australian Aeolothripidae (Thysanoptera). Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 11: 37–54.

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.