Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body, legs and antennae light brown to brown, fore tarsi and antennal segments III–IV yellowish; fore wings uniformly pale with posterior margin and clavus shaded. Antennae 9-segmented, segment I with short process; sensoria on III–IV incomplete dorsally, with internal markings; IX about as long as VIII. Head with ocellar setae III longer than, and arising on anterior margins of, ocellar triangle. Pronotum with numerous microtrichia, one pair of posteroangular setae, posterior margin with three pairs. Mesonotum with no microtrichia on anterior third, lateral setae short. Metanotum with numerous microtrichia on sculpture lines. Fore wing setae scarcely longer than width of veins. Fore tibial apex with two slender ventro-lateral setae. Abdominal tergites with weak sculpture lines medially, many microtrichia laterally; tergite VIII median setae about 0.4 as long as tergite; dorsal setae on IX–X moderately stout. Sternite II with 2 pairs of posteromarginal setae, III–VI with 4 pairs; median sternites with 6 to 10 discal setae, sternite VII with discal setae laterally but not medially.
Male smaller than female, 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. sititor is similar to C. vesper in having rather short setae on tergite VIII, but has one pair of long pronotal posteroangular setae.

Biological data

Locally abundant, breeding in the flowers of Calandrinia species [Portulacaceae], and presumably pupating at soil level. Large populations occur after rains in desert areas.

Distribution data

Central Australia, in desert areas between Bourke (New South Wales), Alice Springs (Northern Territory) and western Queensland.

Family name

MELANTHRIPIDAE

Species name

Cranothrips sititor Mound

Original name and synonyms

Cranothrips sititor Mound, 1972: 44

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.