Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body mainly yellow with pale brownish markings, tergite X brownish-yellow; antennal segment I paler than head, II–III yellow, IV–VIII brown; fore wings pale or faintly shaded. Antennae 8-segmented, III–IV with forked sense cone. Head wider than long; vertex, excluding ocellar triangle, with sculpture lines; 3 pairs of ocellar setae, pair III slightly longer than longitudinal diameter of an ocellus, arising between posterior margins of hind ocelli; 4 pairs of small postocular setae. Pronotum with weak transverse lines of sculpture, 2 pairs of long posteroangular setae; median posteromarginal setae twice as long as remaining 3 pairs of posteromarginals. Mesonotal anterior campaniform sensilla present. Metanotum with sculpture irregular, forming elongate concentric area posteromedially; campaniform sensilla present; median setae at anterior margin. Mesofurca with spinula. Fore wing first and second veins with complete row of setae; clavus with 5 veinal and one discal setae. Tergites without craspeda; V–VII without ctenidia but with microtrichia on lines of sculpture laterally; sculpture lines extend to median setae; VIII with paired ctenidia anterolateral to spiracle, posteromarginal comb of long microtrichia with median 6 microtrichia closely spaced; tergite X scarcely longer than IX. Sternites without discal setae; VII with setae S1 arising at margin. Male macroptera. Similar to female but smaller; tergite VIII comb long and regular with broad triangular bases, median setal pair on IX longer than sub-median pair; sternites III–VII with transversely oval pore plate; sternite VIII posterior margin with several broadly based 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. frankstoni is similar to P. pallidus, but appears to be distinguished by the pale, rather than shaded, forewings, and the paler third antennal segment. Further studies are needed on variation within and between populations of these two nominal species.

Biological data

Feeding and breeding within the flowers of Bedfordia [Asteraceae]; found overwintering in large numbers on fronds of Dicksonia antarctica.

Distribution data

Known only from Australia (Victoria, Australian Capital Territory).

Family name

THRIPIDAE - THRIPINAE

Species name

Pseudanaphothrips frankstoni (Steele)

Original name and synonyms

Isochaetothrips frankstoni Steele, 1940: 325.

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.