Distinguishing features

Macropterous, strongly bicoloured, head brown but postoccipital area yellow; pterothorax brown with metepisterna yellow; abdominal segment I yellow, II–III light brown with thickened dark antecostal ridge, IV–VI mainly yellow, VII–X dark brown; hind tibiae yellow, femora brown; antennal segments I–III yellow, IV pale near base, V–VIII light brown; fore wing with pale sub-basal area, then weakly shaded but apex paler. Head with occipital carina close to eyes; ocellar triangle transversely striate/reticulate; ocellar setae III arise outside ocellar triangle; three pairs of postocular setae, median pair long; postoccipital area transversely striate. Pronotum anterior third with sculpture transverse, blotch transversely striate with markings between main striae. Metanotal reticulation mainly equiangular, only anterior reticles with internal markings, posterior half sharply paler; metasternal plate with deep U-shaped emargination. Tergite I medially with no craspedum, II–VI medially with marginal microtrichia very short. Sternites with no discal microtrichia mesad of marginal setae S2, posterior margins with small lobed craspeda bearing long microtrichia between each pair of marginal setae; sternite VII medially with neither discal nor marginal microtrichia.
Male similar to female, abdominal segment VII yellow; sternites without pore plates.

Related species

Only three genera are currently recognised in the Sericothripinae (Lima & Mound, 2016), with Hydatothrips comprising 43 species worldwide (ThripsWiki, 2020). Three other members of the genus in Australia also have sternites with similarly lobed craspeda, but the metanotal sculpture of bhatii is almost equiangular not linear.

Biological data

Feeding and breeding on the leaves of Parsonsia eucalyptophylla [Apocynaceae].

Distribution data

Widespread in the semi-arid country of eastern Australia, west of the Great Dividing Range.

Family name

THRIPIDAE - SERICOTHRIPINAE

Species name

Hydatothrips bhattii Mound & Tree

Original name & synonyms

Hydatothrips bhattii Mound & Tree, 2009: 7

References

Lima EFB & Mound LA (2016b) Systematic relationships of the Thripidae subfamily Sericothripinae (Insecta: Thysanoptera) Zoologischer Anzeiger 263: 24–32.

Mound LA & Tree DJ (2009b) Identification and host-plant associations of Australian Sericothripinae (Thysanoptera, Thripidae). Zootaxa 1983: 1–22.

ThripsWiki (2020) ThripsWiki - providing information on the World's thrips. Available from: http://thrips.info/wiki/Main_Page [accessed 29.x.2019].