Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body and legs yellow, pronotum and metanotum with light brown markings laterally; major setae pale; antennal segments V–VIII brown; compound eyes with 6 dar facets; fore wings pale. Antennae 8-segmented, III–IV with short simple sense cone. Head small, vertex reticulate; three pairs of fan-shaped ocellar, pair III between posterior ocelli; mouth cone long, extending between fore coxae. Pronotum strongly reticulate, with many small, fan-shaped discal setae, 2 pairs of posteroangular setae slightly larger. Mesonotum with two pairs of fan-shaped setae medially. Metanotum reticulate; median setae fan-shaped, at anterior margin; campaniform sensilla absent. Fore wing first vein with setae near apex of wing; second vein with about 11 setae; clavus with 6 veinal and one discal setae; wing setae all fan-shaped. Meso and metafurca without median spinula. Abdominal tergites IV–VI with no sculpture medially, laterally with about 6 transverse lines bearing small microtrichia; posterior margin with craspedum entire medially, dentate laterally; VIII with comb of long, closely spaced microtrichia, but laterally these are broadly based; X with median split complete. Sternites with neither craspedum nor discal setae; three pairs of marginl setae on VII arise in front of margin.
Male not known.

Related species

Only one species is placed in the genus Rhamphiskothrips, and this remains known from a single female. The median two pairs of setae on sternite VII are not close together, suggesting that this genus is not closely related to Rhamphothrips. The translucent, fan shaped major setae on the head, thorax and wings are unusual, although the major setae on the abdomen are slender.

Biological data

Known only from a single female.

Distribution data

Known only from Western Australia.

Family name

THRIPIDAE - THRIPINAE

Species name

Rhamphiskothrips rhipistos Mound

Original name and synonyms

Rhamphiskothrips rhipistos Mound, 1990: 216.

References

Mound LA (1990) A new genus and species of Thripidae (Thysanoptera) from Western Australia with elongate mouth parts. Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 126: 213–216.