Distinguishing features

Male macroptera. Body and legs brown, antennal segment III yellow; fore wings light brown. Antennae 8-segmented; segment I with paired dorso-apical setae; segments III–IV with apex forming short neck, forked sense cone short; V with oval sense cone base, VI with sensorium base expanded. Head wider than long; 3 pairs of ocellar setae present; pair III anterior to hind ocelli, about as long as side of ocellar triangle; postocular setae small, close to posterior margin of eyes. Pronotum with 1 pair of long posteroangular setae and one pair about one third as long; posterior margin with 4 pairs of setae. Fore tibia with two recurved tubercles at apex, ventrally and laterally. Metanotum reticulate, campaniform sensilla present; median setae arise at anterior margin. Mesofurca with spinula. Fore wing first vein with incomplete row of setae; clavus with 5 veinal setae and one discal seta. Tergites with transverse sculpture lines medially; VIII with group of irregular microtrichia anterior to spiracle, posteromarginal comb represented by a few microtrichia laterally; tergite IX with vertically curved, S-shaped, median process with forked apex. Sternites without discal setae or pore plates, posterior margins of VI–VII with no lobe medially.
Female not known.

Related species

Odontothripiella reedi is known only from a few males. These have the median process on tergite IX similar to that on the males of O. unidentata, but in that species the pronotum bears two pairs of equally prominent posteroangular setae. Both of these species apparently live on Poaceae. This genus is an Australian endemic that currently includes 18 described species, with several more undescribed species also known. The genus shares many character states with Megalurothrips, in particular the presence of a pair of small setae dorsally at the apical margin of the first antennal segment.

Biological data

Feeding and breeding in the flowers of Themeda sp. [Poaceae].

Distribution data

Known only from Australia, New South Wales.

Family name

THRIPIDAE - THRIPINAE

Species name

Odontothripiella reedi Pitkin

Original name and synonyms

Odontothripiella reedi Pitkin, 1972: 286

References

Pitkin BR (1972) A revision of the Australian genus Odontothripiella Bagnall, with descriptions of fourteen new species (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 11: 265–289.