Antenna
Head
Pronotum
Meso & metanotum and tergites I–II
Tergites VIII–X
Sternites V–VII
Male sternites V–VIII
Male tergites VIII–IX
Female aptera. Body, legs and antennal segments I–III yellow, IV–V brown at apex, VI–VIII brown. Antennae 8-segmented; segment I without dorsoapical setae; III with curved simple sense cone, IV with forked sense cone. Head projecting in front of eyes, swollen over base of antennae; ocelli not developed; 3 pairs of ocellar setae, pair III small and close to compound eyes; two pairs of postocular setae, the median pair displaced toward posterior. Maxillary palps 3-segmented. Pronotum wider at posterior than anterior, with one pair of long posteroangular setae, one pair of posteromarginals. Mesonotum and metanotum transverse; metanotal campaniform sensilla absent. Tergites without craspedum, transverse reticulation extends across median area; campaniform sensilla close to posterior margin; tergite IX anterior campaniform sensilla present, medio-dorsal setae small and weak; marginal setae S1 and S2 stout but pale. Sternites without discal setae; median setae on VII at posterior margin.
Male aptera. Similar to female in colour and structure; tergite IX with 2 pairs of short thorn-like setae medially; sternites III–V with transverse pore plate, small and oval on VI.
The genus Physemothrips includes two species, although P. hadrus from islands south of New Zealand is possibly merely a large form of P. chrysodermus from Macquarie Island. These species are not known from continental Australia or Tasmania.
Feeding on the leaves of native grasses [Poaceae].
Auckland Islands (south of New Zealand), and Macquarie Island.
THRIPIDAE - THRIPINAE
Physemothrips chrysodermus Stannard
Physemothrips chrysodermus Stannard, 1962: 934.
Mound LA & Walker AK (1982) Terebrantia (Insecta: Thysanoptera). Fauna of New Zealand 1: 1–113.