Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body and legs brown, tarsi and 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 small and oval. Head slightly longer than wide; 3 pairs of ocellar setae present; pair III anterior to hind ocelli, about as long as side of ocellar triangle; postocular setae small, pair I posteror to ocelli, remainder close to posterior margin of eyes. Pronotum with 2 pairs of equally long posteroangular setae; posterior margin with 4 pairs of setae. Fore tibia with one large recurved tubercle at apex, also one very small tubercle. 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 no sculpture medially between setae pair I; tergite VIII with group of irregular microtrichia anterior to spiracle, posteromarginal comb represented by a few microtrichia laterally. Sternites without discal setae, median setae on VII arise sub-marginally.
Male macroptera. Similar to female but smaller; tergites IV–VI with a few incomplete lines medially; 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.

Related species

Odontothripiella is an Australian genus 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. O. unidentata is unusual within this genus because the head is slightly longer than wide, and there are two pairs of equally long pronotal posteroangular setae. The median process on tergite IX is similar to that of the males of O. reedi, another species that apparently lives on Poaceae.

Biological data

Feeding and breeding in the florets of Stipa aristogluma, Themeda australis, and Hordeum leporinum [Poaceae].

Distribution data

Known only from New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, and Western Australia.

Family name

THRIPIDAE - THRIPINAE

Species name

Odontothripiella unidentata Pitkin

Original name and synonyms

Odontothripiella unidentata Pitkin, 1972: 287.

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.