Distinguishing features

Both sexes wingless, female rarely winged. Body, legs and antennae brown, tube mainly yellow but apex with transverse grey band and base light brown; pedicel of antennal segment III yellow. Antennae 6-segmented (segments VI, VII and VIII fused without suture); segment III small with no sense cones, IV with two sense cones. Head slightly longer than wide with convex cheeks, projecting slightly in front of eyes; compound eyes reduced to about 12 ommatidia that are irregular in size; postocular setae pointed. maxillary stylets band-like, wide apart and V-shaped within head; maxillary palps with terminal sensorium long and stout. Pronotum with five pairs of short major setae, only epimerals long and pointed; epimeral sutures complete; prosternal basantra present, mesopresternum eroded. Fore tarsus without tooth. Metanotum transverse, without sculpture, median setae long and acute. Pelta irregular medially, extending almost full width of tergite II anterior margin; tergite IX setae S1 shorter than setae S2, both pointed; tube shorter than head.
Males varying in size; large males with long fore tarsal tooth; tergite IX setae S1 and S2 similar in size.

Related species

There are nine species listed in the genus Priesneriella, three from North America, four from Europe, and one each from New Zealand and West Africa. P. thomasi Hood from Texas has two sensoria on the third antennal segment, whereas P. seminole from Florida has only one. P. citricauda has also been found in the north of Western Australia, and is probably native to Australia despite previously being known only from one locality in California (Mound, 2007).

Biological data

Apparently breeding in leaf litter, but also taken from dead branches. Feeding on spores of unidentified fungi in leaf litter and on dead Salix.

Distribution data

Recorded only from California, and North Western Australia; possibly dispersed by the whaling industry.

Family name

PHLAEOTHRIPIDAE, IDOLOTHRIPINAE

Species name

Priesneriella citricauda Hood

Original name and synonyms

Priesneriella citricauda Hood, 1927: 199

References

Mound LA (2007)New Australian spore-feeding Thysanoptera (Phlaeothripidae – Idolothripinae). Zootaxa 1604: 53–68.

Mound LA & Palmer JM (1983) The generic and tribal classification of spore-feeding Thysanoptera (Phlaeothripidae: Idolothripinae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 46: 1–174.

Thysanoptera Californica