Distinguishing features

Female macropterous; body yellowish brown, abdomen golden; tarsi and tibiae largely yellow; antennal segments I and III-V yellow, with apex of V also VI–VIII brown; fore wing pale, with base shaded and two short brown cross bands. Head with cheeks concave and constricted at base; ocellar hump small. Antennae 8-segmented, III and IV with sensorium forked but curving around segment apex, VI scarcely narrowed at base, VIII twice as long as VII. Pronotum with two transverse bands of reticulation, no long setae. Mesonotum with complete median longitudinal division. Metanotum with sculptured triangle, reticles mainly elongate, major setae near posterior margin. Fore wing major setae with blunt apices; second vein with four widely spaced setae; costal cilia much longer than setae; wing apex curving slightly forwards. Abdominal tergite II sub-medially with large group of stout recurved microtrichia; median tergal setae minute; tergites III–VII with dorsoventral muscle insertion points slightly invaginated with many microtrichia; tergite VII with one pair of sigmoid setae; VIII with posteromarginal craspedum; tergite X asymmetric, median split complete. Sternites III–VII with muscle insertion points circular with many microtrichia.

Related species

Bhattithrips is an Australian genus that currently includes three species, but with a further species from northern Australia undescribed. There is remarkable diversity between species within the genus, with antennal sensoria forked or simple, the fore wing setae minute or well developed, and the terminal antennal segments fused or more or less distinct. The closest relative is Sigmothrips from New Zealand.

Biological data

Presumably breeding on leaves, but host plant not known.

Distribution data

Australia (Eastern Queensland)

Family name

THRIPIDAE, PANCHAETOTHRIPINAE

Species name

Bhattithrips dahmsi Mound

Original name and synonyms

Bhattithrips dahmsi Mound, 1970: 49

References

Mound LA (2009) New taxa and new records of Australian Panchaetothripinae (Thysanoptera, Thripidae). Zootaxa 2292: 25–33. http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2009/f/zt02292p033.pdf