Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body brown to dark brown, legs paler; antennal segment III mainly yellow; fore wings brown with base paler. Antennae 7-segmented. Head with ocellar setae III arising on (or just outside) margins of triangle, ocellar region sometimes with faint transverse markings; postocular setae II minute. Pronotum with strong transverse markings, about 20 discal setae. Metanotum reticulate, reticles without internal markings, median setae behind anterior margin, campaniform sensilla usually present. Fore wing first vein with complete setal row; clavus with subterminal seta shorter than terminal seta. Abdominal tergite II with 3 (or 4) lateral margin setae; tergite VIII with comb absent; sternites III–VI with no discal setae.
Male not known.

Related species

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. T. malloti is a member of the South East Asian Thrips orientalis group, but the record of this species from Australia is based on a single female.

Biological data

Presumably feeding and breeding in flowers, with adults taken from various unrelated plants.

Distribution data

Widespread from India to Japan and Australia (Queensland).

Family name

THRIPIDAE - THRIPINAE

Species name

Thrips malloti Priesner

Original name and synonyms

Thrips (Isoneurothrips) malloti Priesner 1934: 269
Thrips (Isoneurothrips) addendus Priesner 1934: 270.

References

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