Generic diagnosis

Large, dark, macropterous Phlaeothripinae. Head twice as long as wide, eyes protruding; postocular setae placed midway between posterior margin of eyes and posterior margin of head; maxillary stylets retracted to postocular setae, less than one fifth of head width apart; mouth cone, extending across prosternum. Antennae long and slender, segment VIII narrowed to base; III with one sense cone, IV with 3⁺¹ sense cones. Pronotum with weak sculpture; notopleural sutures complete or slightly incomplete. Prosternal basantra absent; mesopresternum complete and boat-shaped; metathoracic sternopleural sutures absent. Metanotum with closely spaced linear sculpture lines, posterior third with longitudinal reticles having internal markings. Fore tarsal tooth present in male, present or absent in female. Fore wing broad, with about 18 duplicated cilia; sub-basal setae long and arranged in a line. Pelta elongate triangular, slightly recessed into anterior margin of tergite II, with weak sculpture; tergites II–VI each with 2 pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae, VII lacks these setae; major setae on II–VIII all long and weakly capitate, on IX long and finely acute. [Male of type species with pore plate on sternite VIII].

Nomenclatural data

Agynaikothrips Okajima, 2006: 157. Type species Agynaikothrips okinawaensis Okajima 2006, by original designation from two species.

There are three species placed in this genus (ThripsWiki, 2022), of which one is described from Australia.

Australian species
Agynaikothrips lorieni Mound & Tree, 2001: 550

Relationship data

Although similar to Liothrips in appearance, the members of this genus have long, pale pronotal setae, and the mesopresternum is complete and the metathoracic sternopleural sutures absent. They differ from Gynaikothrips species in having the maxillary stylets much closer together medially in the head.

Distribution data

The type species is from southern Japan (Ryukyu Islands), a second species is from New Guinea, and the Australian species is from the east coast rainforest.

Biological data

The included species are presumably leaf-feeding.

References

Mound LA & Tree DJ (2021) Gall-inducing Gynaikothrips species (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae): Australian endemics and the ficorum/uzeli complex. Zootaxa 5023 (4): 537–554.

Okajima S (2006) The Insects of Japan Volume 2 The suborder Tubulifera (Thysanoptera). Fukuoka: Touka Shobo Co Ltd pp. 1–720.

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