Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body light brown, head dark brown, antennal segments I–II dark brown, III–IV largely yellow, V–IX brown, but V slightly paler; wings pale; tergite IX setae shaded. Head wider than long, cheeks almost straight, transversely reticulate behind eyes, ocellar triangle with little or no sculpture; eyes with 6 pigmented facets; ocellar setae III within ocellar triangle, slightly anterior to level of anterior margins of hind ocelli; postocular setae not transverse, setae I–III along inner and posterior margins of eye. Antennae 9-segmented; II without microtrichia; III–IV slender with weakly rounded margins and small forked sense cone; VI weakly pedicellate, suture between VI–VII transverse. Pronotum reticulate; posteromarginal setae subequal in size. Metascutal reticulations small medially; median setae fine and well back from anterior margin; campaniform sensilla present. Prosternal ferna divided medially. Fore wing first vein with about 10 setae on basal half and 2 or 3 setae on distal half; second vein with 15–17 setae irregularly spaced, 2 setae basal to veinal fork; clavus with 6–7 veinal setae and one basal seta. Abdominal tergites I–VII with faint transverse sculpture medially, lateral reticulation bearing small microtrichia; VIII posterior margin with no comb medially but a few small microtrichia laterally, spiracular area small; IX with S1–S2 capitate; X with longitudinal sculpture lines, S1 capitate. Sternite VII median setae far in front of posterior margin.
Male unknown.

Related species

There are 43 species of Anaphothrips known from Australia (Mound & Masumoto, 2009), out of a total of 86 species worldwide (ThripsWiki, 2020). Many of these species have the antennae clearly 9-segmented, others clearly have only 8 segments, but several species have an intermediate condition with segment VI bearing a partial and often oblique transverse suture. The capitate major setae on tergites IX and X of A. whyalla are unique amongst Anaphothrips species. In most species these setae are acute, although in A. parsonsiae and A. westringiae their apices are chisel-shaped.

Biological data

Feeding on the leaves of Acacia oswaldii [Fabaceae].

Distribution data

Known only from South Australia.

Family name

THRIPIDAE - THRIPINAE

Species name

Anaphothrips whyalla Mound & Masumoto

Original name and synonyms

Anaphothrips whyalla Mound & Masumoto, 2009: 56.

References

Mound LA & Masumoto M (2009) Australian Thripinae of the Anaphothrips genus-group (Thysanoptera), with three new genera and thirty-three new species. Zootaxa 2042: 1–76. http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2009/f/zt02042p076.pdf