Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body light brown; fore legs, also mid and hind tibiae and tarsi largely yellow, antennal segments III–V and basal half of VI largely yellow; fore wings light brown with pale area along costa subapically and also subbasally. Antennae 8-segmented, short, without microtrichia, III–IV with simple sense cone. Head strongly produced in front of eyes, widest across eyes, 1 pair of setae anterolateral to ocellar triangle; maxillary palps 2-segmented. Pronotum wider at posterior than anterior; 5 pairs of posteromarginal setae, of which S3 longest; with little sculpture medially. Prosternal ferna large and separate, bearing one pair of setae; basantra weakly sclerotised without setae. Fore tibiae with stout bifid spur at inner apex; tarsi all 1-segmented. Metanotum faintly reticulate, median setae on posterior half of sclerite. Meso and metafurca with no spinula. Fore wing slender, curving forward and with apex slightly wider; costa with 2 widely spaced small setae; first vein with 4 setae in basal half, 3 widely spaced setae distally, second vein with 4 widely spaced setae; clavus with 1 very small seta near apex; posterior fringe cilia undulated. Abdominal tergites II–VIII with posteromarginal craspedum, bearing minute fine teeth medially but long fine teeth laterally; tergal discal area without sculpture medially, with irregular weak lines laterally bearing weak microtrichia; II–V with a pair of stout discal setae medially with bases close together, VI–VII with median setae longer and separated by more than their length. Sternites III–VII with 3 pairs of small marginal setae; pleurosternites with posterior craspedum of long pointed teeth.
Male macroptera. Similar to female; sternites III–VII with large, broadly oval pore plate on anterior half; tergite IX with dorsal setae all small.

Related species

The genus Organothrips is distinguished by the head prolonged in front of the eyes, the trapezoidal pronotum, and the fimbriate craspeda on the tergites. Only three species are recognised in the genus, and O. wrighti is distinguished from the other two by the bifid, not fimbriate, apical spur on the fore tibia, and the single large pore plate on the sternites instead of a series of small pore plates.

Biological data

Living on the leaves of grasses in damp places.

Distribution data

Known only from Australia (Northern Territory and Queensland).

Family name

THRIPIDAE - THRIPINAE

Species name

Organothrips wrighti Mound

Original name and synonyms

Organothrips wrighti Mound, 2000: 11.

References

Mound LA (2000) The aquatic thrips Organothrips indicus Bhatti (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Queensland, and a new species, O. wrighti, from tropical Australia. Australian Journal of Entomology 39 : 10–14.