Generic diagnosis

Small sized, usually apterous Phlaeothripinae with tergite X elongate. Head about as long as wide, dorsal surface sculptured, anterior margin with 3 (or 2) pairs of setae, eyes reduced to about 10 facets; mouth cone short, maxillary stylets deeply retracted, one third of head width apart, with maxillary bridge. Antennae 8-segmented, but segments VII‒VIII more or less fused. Pronotum rugose, notopleural sutures absent, only epimeral setae prominent. Prosternal basantra small, wide-apart lateral to mouth cone, ferna usually joined medially; mesopresternum transverse; metathoracic sternopleural sutures absent. Metathoracic epimera swollen, sometimes with prominent seta; hind coxae more widely separated than mid coxae. Fore tarsal tooth absent. Wings, if present, narrow, with cilia widely spaced, no duplicated cilia. Abdominal tergite I transverse; tergites II‒VII of macropterae with one pair of broadly flattened wing retaining setae; abdominal segment IX longer than wide, without prominent setae; tube long and slender, much longer than head; anal setae longer than tube.

Nomenclatural data

Baenothrips Crawford, 1948: 39. Type species Baenothrips guatemalensis Crawford 1948, by monotypy.

There are 12 species listed in this genus from around the world (ThripsWiki, 2022).

Australian species
Baenothrips caenosus (Stannard, 1952: 128)
Baenothrips moundi (Stannard, 1970: 121)

Relationship data

This genus is a member of the Urothrips group, including Stephanothrips, in which all of the species have abdominal segment X unusually long, with long terminal setae.

Distribution data

Members of this genus are found in all of the warmer parts of the world. Baenothrips moundi has been recorded widely in eastern Australia from Tasmania to southern Queensland, also Norfolk Island and Timor Leste. However, B. caenosus appears to be less common, and has been taken mainly around Canberra but also once in Western Australia. Two or three undescribed species from Australia are available in ANIC.

Biological data

These species are found in leaf litter and at the base of grasses, where they presumably feed on fungal hyphae.

References

Mound LA (1972) Species complexes and the generic classification of leaf-litter thrips of the Tribe Urothripini (Phlaeothripidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 20: 83–103.

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