Generic diagnosis

Dark brown, macropterous but usually de-alate Phlaeothripinae. Head usually prolonged in front of eyes, genae frequently with tooth behind eyes, usually without postocular setae; eyes larger dorsally than ventrally; maxillary stylets not close together. Antennae 8-segmented, III with one sense cone, IV with 2 or 3 sense cones. Pronotum with distinct median longitudinal apodeme; midlateral and antero-marginal setae not distinguished from discal setae, notopleural sutures complete. Prosternal basantra and ferna well developed; mesopresternum reduced to 2 lateral triangles; metathoracic sternopleural sutures elongate. Mesonotum with short posteromedian cleft. Metanotum reticulate, median setae small. Fore tarsus with stout tooth in both sexes; fore tibia with small apical tubercle; fore femora usually with elongate basal tubercle on inner margin (small in males and small females); fore, mid and hind femora moderately swollen. Fore wing broad, without duplicated cilia. Pelta reticulate, almost rectangular, paired campaniform sensilla present; tergites II–VI each with 2 pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae, pair on VII frequently reduced; tergite IX setae S3 of female sometimes stout and thorn-like, tergite IX setae of male all slender; tube usually very short in female, anal setae short and at least one dorsal pair stout; tube of male normal, with long anal setae; male sternite VIII sometimes with pore plate.

Nomenclatural data

Dunatothrips Moulton, 1942: 10. Type species Dunatothrips armatus Moulton, 1942, by monotypy.

There are seven species described in this genus.

Australian species
Dunatothrips aneurae Mound, 1969: 181
Dunatothrips armatus Moulton, 1942: 10
Dunatothrips aulidis Mound & Morris, 2001: 411
Dunatothrips chapmani Mound & Morris, 2001: 412
Dunatothrips gloius Crespi, Morris & Mound, 2004: 189
Dunatothrips skene Mound & Morris, 2001: 412
Dunatothrips vestitor Mound & Morris, 2001: 413

Relationship data

Amongst Australian Phlaeothripinae, the members of this genus are probably most closely related to Domeothrips, despite species in that genus being invaders of domiciles between phyllodes on Acacia trees.

Distribution data

This genus is widespread across the arid areas of Central Australia in association with various species of Acacia.

Biological data

These species glue together (or sew together) two or more phyllodes on an Acacia tree to produce a domicile (or nest) within which to breed (Gilbert et al. 2013, 2018).

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.

Gilbert JDJ & Simpson SJ (2013) Natural history and behaviour of Dunatothrips aneurae Mound (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae), a phyllode-gluing thrips with facultative pleometrosis. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 109: 802–816.

Gilbert JDJ, Wells A & Simpson SJ (2018) Skew in ovarian activation depends on domicile size in phyllode-glueing thrips. Nature Scientific Reports | (2018) 8:3597 | DOI:10.1038/s41598-018-21635-z

Mound LA & Morris DC (2001) Domicile constructing phlaeothripine Thysanoptera from Acacia phyllodes in Australia: Dunatothrips Moulton and Sartrithrips gen.n., with a key to associated genera. Systematic Entomology 26 : 401–419.