Distinguishing features

Macropterous, strongly bicoloured, mainly brown with pronotum largely yellow; posterior of metathorax yellow, also abdominal tergite I; tergites IV–VI yellow with antecostal line dark; hind tibiae yellow, femora brown; fore wing banded with pale sub-basal area and extensive sub-apical area paler than dark apex. Head with occipital carina close to eyes; ocellar triangle transversely striate; ocellar setae III arise outside ocellar triangle; three pairs of postocular setae, median pair long; postoccipital area transversely striate/reticulate. Pronotum with anterior third transversely reticulate, blotch transversely striate with markings between main striae. Metanotum with linear reticulation, linear markings within the reticles; metasternal plate with deep U-shaped emargination. Tergite I medially with no craspedum, II–IV with short microtrichiate craspedum medially, longer on V–VI. Sternites with no discal microtrichia medially, posterior margins with small lobed craspedum bearing long microtrichia between each pair of marginal setae; sternite VII medially with neither median discal nor marginal microtrichia.
Male 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). H. argenticinctus is distinguished by its yellow pronotum and banded fore wings from the three other members of the genus in Australia that have similarly lobed craspeda on the sternites.

Biological data

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

Distribution data

Widespread in coastal forests of eastern Australia

Family name

THRIPIDAE - SERICOTHRIPINAE

Species name

Hydatothrips argenticinctus Girault

Original name & synonyms

Hydatothrips argenticinctus Girault, 1927: 1

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].