Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body brown, mid and hind tibiae with extreme apex yellow, tarsi yellow; antennal segments I–II brown, III yellow, IV–VIII increasingly brown; fore wings brown, slightly paler at posterior margin near base. Antennae 8-segmented, III–IV with short forked sense cone. Head slightly wider than long, with 3 pairs of ocellar setae; pair III arising between midpoint of hind ocelli; 4 pairs of short postocular setae. Pronotal disc with weak transverse reticulation, median discal setae scarcely long than width of two transverse reticulations; 2 pairs of long posteroangular setae, 2–3 pairs of posteromarginals. Mesonotum with paired anterior campaniform sensilla. Metanotum with 2 pairs of setae at anterior margin, median area reticulate, campaniform sensilla absent. Prosternal ferna complete; mesosternal furca with spinula, metasternal furca without spinula. Fore wing first vein with irregular row of about 15 setae, second vein with 6–10 irregularly spaced setae; clavus with one discal and 5 marginal setae. Tergites VI–VII with posteroangular setae arising mesad of the posterior angle; VI–VII with small ctenidia present laterally and terminating at median lateral seta; ctenidia on VIII slightly anterolateral to spiracles; VIII with no posteromarginal comb; tergite IX with paired campaniform sensilla on anterior third.
Male macroptera. Similar to female but smaller; tergite IX with median setae short and thorn-like; sternites III–VII with broad transverse pore plate.

Related species

The genus Parabaliothrips comprises five species, three from S.E.Asia, and two from Australia. The abdominal ctenidia terminate at the median lateral seta on tergites VI–VII, a more anterior position than in species of Frankliniella. Females of P. montanus have the forewing almost uniformly brown as in P. newmani, but the males have a transverse pore plate on the sternites.

Biological data

Feeding on the leaves of various Epacridaceae, including Astroloma, Epacris, Leucopogon and Monotoca.

Distribution data

Known from New Zealand as well as South Australia, Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and Queensland.

Family name

THRIPIDAE - THRIPINAE

Species name

Parabaliothrips montanus Girault

Original name and synonyms

Physothrips montanus Girault, 1927: 1
Pseudanaphothrips annettae Mound & Palmer, 1981: 166.

References

Mound LA (2002) The Thrips and Frankliniella genus groups: the phylogenetic significance of ctenidia. Pp. 379–386 in Marullo R & Mound LA [eds] Thrips and Tospoviruses: Proceedings of the 7th International Symposium on Thysanoptera. Australian National Insect Collection, Canberra.