Generic diagnosis

Macropterous Phlaeothripinae with prominent horn ventrally on head in large individuals of both sexes. Head slightly longer than wide, with one pair of long postocular setae, compound eyes larger dorsally than ventrally; frontoclypeus posterior margin swollen in large individuals and produced into prominent tubercle over base of mouth cone; frontoclypeus of large individuals with prominent tubercle either at anterior between eyes (magnicollis) or medially between tentorial pits (laheyi); maxillary stylets no more than one-third of head width apart, retracted about half-way to postocular setae. Antennae 8-segmented, III with 1 sense cone, IV with 2 sense cones; III–VII slender, VIII long and slender. Large individuals with pronotum massive, notopleural sutures complete, epimera small but with seta on a prominent tubercle; midlateral setae arising from an almost separate sclerite; anteromarginal setae minute, remaining setae longer and slender; prothorax ventro-lateral to midlateral setae with 2 pairs of pointed tubercles. Prosternal basantra absent in small individuals but present and small in large individuals; mesopresternum reduced to pair of lateral triangles; metathoracic sternopleural sutures present. Fore tarsal tooth longer than tarsal width; fore femora large in large individuals, bearing a tubercle in inner margin near base and another at inner apex. Fore wing parallel sided, with at least 30 duplicated cilia. Pelta broadly triangular, wider than long, campaniform sensilla usually present; tergites II–VII each with 2 pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae placed laterally; tergite IX setae S1 and S2 slender and as long as tube, tube longer than head. Male similar to female; tergite IX setae S2 as long as setae S1; sternite VIII with no pore plate.

Nomenclatural data

Eurynothrips Bagnall, 1908: 199. Type species Eurynothrips magnicollis Bagnall, 1908, by original designation.

Only two species are known in this genus.

Australian species
Eurynothrips magnicollis Bagnall, 1908: 199
Eurynothrips laheyi Mound & Tree, 2021: 255

Relationship data

This endemic Australian genus is presumably related to Pharothrips, another Phlaeothripinae genus of gall thrips from eastern Australia,

Distribution data

This genus is known only from eastern Queensland

Biological data

Species of this genus are presumably gall inducing. The host plant of the type species remains unknown, but in southern Queensland E. laheyi induces galls on the young terminal leaves of Planchonella pohlmaniana [Sapotaceae].

References

Mound LA (1968) A review of R.S. Bagnall's Thysanoptera collections. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology Supplement 11: 1–181.

Mound LA & Tree DJ (2021) Eurynothrips Bagnall (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae): a rare and long-lost Australian genus, with one new gall-inducing species. Zootaxa 5005 (3): 251–256.