Distinguishing features

Male macroptera. Body largely yellow, but tergite II light brown, VII and IX–X dark brown, head with light brown marking behind each eye; antennal segments III–V mainly yellow, IV brown at apex, V brown on apical third; pronotal posteroangular setae light brown; fore wing pale at base, with dark band at veinal fork, then pale before dark apex. Head wider than long, with weak median transverse ridge; ocellar setae pair I present, arranged irregularly one in front of the other; setae III almost twice as long as distance between posterior ocelli; eyes without pigmented facets. Antennae 8-segmented; segment I without paired dorso-apical setae; III and IV slightly swollen sub-basally above pedicel, sense cone forked; II with microtrichia on dorsal surface, III–VI with microtrichia on both surfaces. Pronotum with two pairs of posteroangular setae, three pairs of posteromarginal setae. Mesonotum transversely reticulate, median setae in front of posterior margin; anterior campaniform sensilla present. Metanotum with longitudinal reticulation, median setae at anterior margin, with one slender seta between the major setae; paired campaniform sensilla present; metascutellum reticulate. Prosternal ferna complete medially; basantra membranous, without setae; prospinasternum broad and transverse. Mesosternum with sternopleural suture complete; endofurca with spinula. Metasternal endofurca without spinula. Fore wing first vein with wide gap in setal row, three setae on distal half; second vein with complete row of setae; clavus with five veinal and one discal setae. Tarsi 2-segmented. Tergites without ctenidia or craspeda, no sculpture medially, setae S1 small and wide apart; VIII with group of microtrichia anterior to spiracle, posterior margin with regular comb of long microtrichia; IX with three pairs of stout, dark, thorn-like setae. Sternites without discal setae or pore plates.
Female holotype: colour similar to male, but tergite VIII and anterior half of IX almost yellow; metanotum with three minor setae between major setae, two at anterior margin and one slightly posterior; sternite VIII setae S1 in front of margin, S2 and S3 arising on posterior margin.

Related species

Currently there are four species listed in the genus Lefroyothrips (ThripsWiki, 2020), but further undescribed species are known from southeast Asia, northern Australia, and the Pacific.

Biological data

Host plant not known, one male taken from Pouteria [Sapotaceae]

Distribution data

Described from New Guinea, one male was taken at Cape Tribulation, Queensland in 1995, and the species has been seen also from Peninsular Malaysia.

Family name

THRIPIDAE - THRIPINAE

Species name

Lefroyothrips fasciatus Moulton

Original name and synonyms

Lefroyothrips fasciatus Moulton, 1940: 250

References

Moulton D (1940) Thysanoptera from New Guinea and New Britain. Occasional Papers of the Bishop Museum 15: 243–270.

Zhang SM, Mound LA, & Hastings A (2018) Thysanoptera Chinensis. Thripidae Genera from China. Lucidcentral.org, Identic Pty Ltd, Queensland, Australia. https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/thysanoptera_chinensis/