Generic diagnosis

Macropterous Phlaeothripinae with fore femora grossly enlarged in females. Head with several stout genal setae; maxillary stylets retracted about half-way into head, less than one third of head width apart. Antennae 8-segmented, III with one sense cone, IV with 2 or 3 sense cones. Pronotum with notopleural sutures complete, antero-marginal and antero-angular setae short. Prosternal basantra usually present; ferna anterior margins angulate and converging medially; mesopresternum reduced to 2 small triangles; metathoracic sternopleural sutures absent in leai but present in tania. Pterothorax narrowed posteriorly. Fore tarsus small, arising ventrally on stout terminal claw; fore femora greatly enlarged, extending beyond anterior margin of head, with 3 stout tubercles in transverse row at apex. Fore wing broad without duplicated cilia, terminal cilia short. Tergites II–VII each with 2 pairs of wing-retaining setae arising laterally; anal setae longer than tube. Male with fore femora not swollen, tubercles arising laterally, not at apex; tergite IX setae S2 shorter than setae S1; sternite VIII without pore plate.

Nomenclatural data

Carcinothrips Moulton, 1929: 264. Type species Carcinothrips leai Moulton 1929, by monotypy.

Only two species are known in this genus.

Australian species
Carcinothrips leai Moulton, 1929: 264
Carcinothrips tania Mound & Morris, 1999: 13

Relationship data

The genus is a member of the suite of Australian domicile creating thrips that breed on various species of Acacia.

Distribution data

Widespread across the arid zone of central Australia, from Belyando in Queensland to Paraburdoo in Western Australia.

Biological data

In the two species of this genus a female produces a nest or domicile within which to breed by glueing together two phyllodes of an Acacia bush. The species leai is recorded from Acacia kempeana and A. torulosa, and tania is recorded from A. stowardii.

References

Crespi BJ, Morris DC & Mound LA (2004) Evolution of ecological and behavioural diversity: Australian Acacia thrips as model organisms. Australian Biological Resources Study & Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO, Canberra, Australia, pp. 1–328.