Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body brown, tarsi, fore tibiae and antennal segment III paler; fore wings weakly shaded to light brown with base paler. Antennae 8-segmented, III–IV with sense cone small, forked. Head wider than long; vertex, including ocellar triangle, with transverse sculpture lines; 3 pairs of ocellar setae, pair III small, arising between hind ocelli; 4 pairs of small postocular setae. Pronotum with transverse lines of sculpture, no long setae; posterior margin with 7 pairs of setae, median posteromarginals scarcely longer than remaining marginals. Mesonotal and metanotal campaniform sensilla present or absent. Metanotum with lines of sculpture converging posteromedially; median setae arise at anterior margin. Mesofurca with spinula. Fore wing first and second veins with complete row of setae; clavus with 6 veinal setae. Tergites without craspeda; V–VII without ctenidia, VIII with paired ctenidia anterolateral to spiracle, posteromarginal comb comprising about 6 long microtrichia medially with smaller triangular teeth laterally. Sternites without discal setae; VII with setae S1 arising at margin.
Male macroptera. Similar to female but smaller, sometimes paler; sternites III–VII with transverse pore plate; sternite VIII posterior margin with long slender microtrichia arising from triangular bases, preceding sternites sometimes with posteromarginal microtrichia.

Related species

Species of the genus Pseudanaphothrips share many character states with species of Frankliniella, but none of them have tergal ctenidia so well-formed. Currently the genus includes nine species, all but one from Australia. However, some of these are based on very few specimens, and these remain particularly difficult to distinguish (Mound & Palmer, 1981). P. achaetus is readily distinguished, because it is the only member of the genus with no elongate pronotal posteroangular setae. Populations differ in the presence of campaniform sensilla, both on the mesonotum and on the metanotum. Moreover, adults on yellow-flowered species of Hakea and Banksia are commonly yellow not brown. These variants are all considered to represent one species.

Biological data

Highly polyphagous, feeding and breeding within the flowers of various native and also introduced plant species.

Distribution data

Known from Australia (New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia) also New Zealand and California.

Family name

THRIPIDAE - THRIPINAE

Species name

Pseudanaphothrips achaetus (Bagnall)

Original name and synonyms

Pseudothrips achaetus Bagnall, 1916: 398.

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.