Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body yellow to brown, typically yellow with brown postoccipital ridge on head, brown markings medially on each tergite, and tergites VIII–X brown; fore wings pale but shaded along veins, major setae often dark. Antennae 7-segmented, VI large and bullet-shaped. Head with ocellar setae III arising inside ocellar triangle. Pronotal posteromarginal transverse apodeme usually stout, postero-angular setae short. Metanotum reticulate, but reticles without internal markings, median setae arise behind anterior margin, campaniform sensilla present. Fore wing with first vein setal row almost uninterrupted; clavus with 6 marginal setae. Abdominal tergite II with 4 lateral setae, VIII with marginal comb not developed medially. Sternites with 15–40 discal setae,3 pairs of marginal setae; pleurotergites with 6–10 discal setae.
Male macroptera similar to female in structure, but smaller and paler; tergite VIII with no comb; tergite IX with 4 setae close set in a transverse row; sternites III–VII with small transverse pore plate anterior to about 10 discal setae.

Related species

Most species of the genus Thrips have five marginal setae on the fore wing clavus, but australis is unusual in having six such setae, and the sixth antennal segment is unique in its shape. However, there is little evidence to support placing this species in a separate monobasic genus, Isoneurothrips, and thus implying that australis is only distantly related to the other members of genus Thrips. Some Thrips species from Africa also have more than five marginal setae on the clavus, and the larvae of australis are essentially similar to those of other members of the genus (Vierbergen et al., 2010). There are 33 species of Thrips genus known from Australia (Mound & Masumoto, 2005), out of a total of 296 species worldwide (ThripsWiki, 2020). Many of these species have the antennae clearly 7-segmented, whereas others have 8 segments. Some species have two complete rows of setae on the fore wing veins, whereas others have the setal row on the first vein more or less widely interrupted. Moreover, some species have sternal discal setae, whereas other species have only marginal setae on the sternites. Despite this variation, all members of Thrips genus have paired ctenidia on the tergites, and on tergite VIII these are postero-mesad to the spiracles, and they also lack ocellar setae pair I in front of the first ocellus. In contrast, Frankliniella species have ctenidia on tergite VIII antero-lateral to the spiracles, and a pair of setae is always present in front of the first ocellus.

Biological data

Feeding and breeding in the flowers of Eucalyptus species, particularly species with white flowers, also Melaleuca spp. [Myrtaceae]; as Eucalyptus flowers die, adults disperse in and settle large numbers on surrounding plants.

Distribution data

Australian in origin, where it is found across the continent, but now widespread around world in association with Eucalyptus plantings.

Family name

THRIPIDAE - THRIPINAE

Species name

Thrips australis (Bagnall)

Original name and synonyms

Isoneurothrips australis Bagnall, 1915: 592
Thrips lacteicorpus Girault, 1926: 17
Thrips mediolineus Girault, 1926a: 18
Anomalothrips amygdali Morgan, 1929: 5.

References

Mound L, Hoddle MS & Hastings A (2019) Thysanoptera Californica. An identification and information system to thrips in California. Lucidcentral.org, Identic Pty Ltd, Queensland, Australia. https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/thrips_of_california_2019/

Mound LA & Masumoto M (2005) The genus Thrips (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) in Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand. Zootaxa 1020: 1–64. http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2005f/zt01020p064.pdf

ThripsWiki (2020) Thrips Wiki-providing information on the World’s thrips. Available from: http://thrips.info/wiki/Main Page [accessed 28.viii.2019].

Vierbergen G, Kucharczyk H & Kirk WDJ (2010) A key to the second instar larvae of the Thripidae of the Western Palaearctic region (Thysanoptera). Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 153: 99–160.