Generic diagnosis

Medium sized, usually macropterous Phlaeothripinae with body rather flattened dorso-ventrally. Head usually a little longer than wide, reticulation absent or weak; postocular setae wide apart; genae usually incut just behind eyes; stylets usually short, V- or U-shaped. Antennae 8-segmented, III with 2 or 3 sense cones (rarely 0), IV with 2, 3 or 4 sense cones; VIII usually constricted at base. Pronotum with anteromarginal and anteroangular setae reduced; notopleural sutures complete. Prosternal basantra absent; mesopresternum transverse; metathoracic sternopleural sutures present. Fore tarsal tooth present in male, usually absent in female. Fore wings, if developed, weakly constricted medially, without duplicated cilia, sub-basal setae minute. Pelta hat- or bell-shaped; tergites II–VII of macroptera each with 2 pairs of wing-retaining setae; tube shorter than head, anal setae about as long as tube. Male sternite VIII with pore plate.

Nomenclatural data

Psalidothrips Priesner, 1932: 61. Type species Psalidothrips amens Priesner, 1932, by monotypy.

There are 48 species recognised in this genus (ThripsWiki, 2022), of which 16 are known from Australia.

Australian species
Psalidothrips bipictus Wang, Mound & Tree, 2019: 56
Psalidothrips brittoni Wang, Mound & Tree, 2019: 57
Psalidothrips cecryphalus Wang, Mound & Tree, 2019: 58
Psalidothrips daguilari Wang, Mound & Tree, 2019: 59
Psalidothrips driesseni Wang, Mound & Tree, 2019: 60
Psalidothrips gloriousi Wang, Mound & Tree, 2019: 60
Psalidothrips greensladeae Wang, Mound & Tree, 2019: 61
Psalidothrips howei Wang, Mound & Tree, 2019: 62
Psalidothrips minantennus Wang, Mound & Tree, 2019: 63
Psalidothrips platetus Wang, Mound & Tree, 2019: 63
Psalidothrips postlei Wang, Mound & Tree, 2019: 64
Psalidothrips taylori Mound & Walker, 1986: 76
Psalidothrips tritus Wang, Mound & Tree, 2019: 65
Psalidothrips trivius Wang, Mound & Tree, 2019: 66
Psalidothrips verus Wang, Mound & Tree, 2019: 67
Psalidothrips wellsae Wang, Mound & Tree, 2019: 68

Relationship data

This Phlaeothripinae genus is presumably closely related to Hoplothrips.

Distribution data

This genus probably occurs in leaf-litter throughout tropical countries, although most of the described species are from southeast Asia and Australia.

Biological data

Fungus-feeding in leaf litter, in contrast to Hoplothrips species that live on dead branches.

References

Wang J, Mound LA & Tree D (2019) Leaf-litter thrips of the genus Psalidothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae) from Australia, with fifteen new species. Zootaxa 4686 (1): 53–73.

ThripsWiki (2022) ThripsWiki - providing information on the World's thrips. Available from: http://thrips.info/wiki/ (Accessed 15.iii.2022)