Distinguishing features

Female macropterous; body yellowish brown; tarsi yellow, tibiae shaded medially; antennal segments I and III-V yellow, with apex of V also VI–VIII brown; fore wing pale, with base shaded yellow and two long brown cross bands. Head with cheeks curved, constricted at base; ocellar hump prominent. Antennae 8-segmented, III and IV with sensorium simple (apex of sensorium on IV forked in one female), VI narrowed at base, VIII more than 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 weakly defined, walls of reticles thickened and irregular, paired setae present medially. Fore wing major setae scarcely longer than microtrichia; costal cilia well developed; wing apex curving slightly forwards. Abdominal tergite II sub-medially with poorly-defined group of recurved microtrichia; median tergal setae minute; tergites III–VII with one pair of sigmoid setae; VIII with posteromarginal craspedum; tergite X asymmetric, median split complete. Sternites III–VII with dorsoventral muscle insertion points circular with many microtrichia.
Male hemi-macropterous, similar to female; tergite IX setae S1 and S2 small, S3 extending to apex of X; sternites VI–VIII with small oval pore plate at anterior margin.

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

Both sexes collected from the leaves of Claoxylon australe [Euphorbiaceae]

Distribution data

East coast of Australia (Queensland, Brisbane; New South Wales, Taree)

Family name

THRIPIDAE, PANCHAETOTHRIPINAE

Species name

Bhattithrips pitkini Mound

Original name and synonyms

Bhattithrips pitkini Mound, 1970: 48

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