Distinguishing features

Macropterous, bicoloured, brown on head, pteronota, abdominal tergites VII–VIII and lateral thirds of tergites II–IV; yellow on posterior half of metathorax, abdominal segments I, V–VI and IX–X, all legs; pronotum brownish yellow, particularly blotch; fore wing clear sub-basally and on distal third, median area dark. Antennae 7-segmented, VI with enlarged sub-apical sense cone. Head with ocellar setae III inside ocellar triangle, ocellar region transversely striate; three pairs of postocular setae present. Pronotum anterior third reticulate with no internal markings, blotch transversely striate. Meso and metanota closely striate, with many lines between major sculpture lines; metasternal plate with deep U-shaped emargination. Abdominal tergites IV–V with two rows of discal setae laterally; tergite IX with only four pairs of submarginal setae. Sternites medially with neither discal nor marginal microtrichia.
Male with broadly oval pore plate on sternites III–VII.

Related species

Only three genera are currently recognised in the Sericothripinae (Lima & Mound, 2016), with Hydatothrips comprising 43 species worldwide (ThripsWiki, 2020). H. latisensibilis is unusual among the members of this genus in having 7-segmented antennae, and in having an enlarged sensorium on the sixth antennal segment.

Biological data

Feeding and breeding on the leaves of species of Desmodium and Canavallia [Fabaceae].

Distribution data

Described from Sarawak, East Malaysia, and recorded in Australia from near Darwin.

Family name

THRIPIDAE - SERICOTHRIPINAE

Species name

Hydatothrips latisensibilis Kudo

Original name & synonyms

Hydatothrips (Zonothrips) latisensibilis Kudo, 1997: 353

References

Kudo I (1997) Malaysian Hydatothrips with some species from neighboring areas (Thysanoptera, Terebrantia, Thripidae). Japanese Journal of Systematic Entomology 3: 325–365.

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].