Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body, legs and antennae brown to dark brown, antennal segment III paler; fore wings uniformly pale to very weakly shaded particularly along posterior margin. Antennae 9-segmented, segment I with strongly toothed process variable in length; segment III parallel-sided; sensoria on III–IV incomplete dorsally; IX shorter than VIII. Head with ocellar setae III long, arising on anterior margins of triangle; three pairs of long postocular setae present. Pronotum with numerous microtrichia, with about 10 pairs of discal setae, anteromedian pair long and stout; posterior angles with 2 pairs of long setae. Mesonotum with moderately long lateral setae, microtrichia present only on posterior half. Metanotum with concentric lines at anterior bearing microtrichia. Fore wing setae almost as long as distance between veins. Fore tibial apex with two stout ventro-lateral setae. Abdominal tergites II–VI with no sculpture lines or microtrichia medially; tergite VIII median setae more than 0.5 as long as tergite; dorsal setae on IX–X long. Sternite II with 2 pairs of posteromarginal setae, sternites III–VII with 4 pairs; median sternites with about 12–20 discal setae often arising close to posterior margin, sternite VII with discal setae laterally but not medially.
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. laurei is closely related to C. ravidus, but has ocellar setae III arising slightly further apart, and the lateral pair of setae on the head is longer.

Biological data

Breeding in the flowers of Hakea ?macrocarpa [Proteaceae], and presumably pupating at soil level.

Distribution data

Central Australia, between Katherine and Tennant Creek (Northern Territory) and Lake Grace (Western Australia).

Family name

MELANTHRIPIDAE

Species name

Cranothrips lauriei Marullo

Original name and synonyms

Cranothrips lauriei Marullo, 1995: 168

References

Marullo R (1995) Two new species of Aeolothripidae (Thysanoptera) from northern Australia. Redia 78: 163–171.

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.