Generic diagnosis

Large, black, slender, macropterous Idolothripinae with abdominal segment X bearing long setae laterally. Head longer than wide, slightly prolonged in front of eyes; maxillary stylets broad, either deeply retracted and close together medially or not retracted as far as postocular setae and almost one third of head width apart. Antennae 8-segmented, 2 sense cones on segment III, 4 on IV. Pronotum often with notopleural sutures incomplete, five pairs of major setae usually present. Prosternal basantra present; mesopresternum transverse; metathoracic sternopleural sutures absent. Both sexes with no fore tarsal tooth. Fore wing with many duplicated cilia. Pelta with lateral wings; tergites II–VII each with 2 pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae (cookae with only one pair); tube with prominent lateral setae. Males commonly with paired tubercles laterally on median tergites; tergite IX with setal pair S2 as long as S1.

Nomenclatural data

Bactrothrips Karny, 1912: 131. Type species Bactrothrips longiventris Karny, by monotypy.
Lasiothrips Moulton, 1968: 121. Type species Lasiothrips perplexus Moulton, 1968: 122.

A genus of 53 species, mainly from the Old World tropics (ThripsWiki, 2022), with six species native to Australia.

Australian species
Bactrothrips aliceae Mound & Tree, 2011: 58.
Bactrothrips cookae Mound & Tree, 2011: 60.
Bactrothrips houstoni Mound & Tree, 2011: 62.
Bactrothrips kranzae Mound & Tree, 2011: 62.
Bactrothrips nativus (Girault, 1928: 2).
Bactrothrips perplexus (Moulton, 1968: 122).

Relationship data

This is the largest of 10 genera in the Idolothripinae, Idolothripina. All but one of these 10 genera are from the Old World.

Distribution data

Species of this genus have been found widely but infrequently across southern Australia as far north as southeastern Queensland, but 34 of the 53 named species in the genus are recorded only from the African region.

Biological data

Large spore-feeding species living on dead branches but with some Australian species associated with the dried nuts of Eucalyptus trees. Males presumably use their abdomen in male/male disputes over access to females.

References

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.

Mound LA & Tree DJ (2011) Australian spore-feeding Thysanoptera of the genus Bactrothrips (Phlaeothripidae-Idolothripinae). Zootaxa 3087: 56–65.

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