Generic diagnosis

Dark brown, usually macropterous Phlaeothripinae with body surface more or less reticulate. Head about as long as wide, maxillary stylets retracted to eyes and crossing over each other in middle of head, each with a simple or complex loop posterolaterally; mouth cone acute with broadly rounded labium; postocular setae with capitate apices. Antennae 8-segmented; III with 1 sense cone, IV with 3 sense cones (rarely 2); VII broadly joined to VIII. Pronotum with 5 pairs of major setae; notopleural sutures complete. Prosternal basantra absent; mesopresternum usually complete but slender medially; metathoracic sternopleural sutures long. Mesonotal midlateral setae expanded. Metanotal setae usually acute. Fore tarsus with a tooth in both sexes; fore femur enlarged in major individuals. Fore wing usually present, broad and closely ciliate; duplicated cilia present. Tergites II–VII with 2 pairs of wing-retaining setae; tergite IX setae capitate. Male sternite VIII with pore plate.

Nomenclatural data

Heligmothrips Mound, 1970: 453. Type species Trichothrips erinaceus Karny 1920, by original designation.

Six species are known in this genus.

Australian species
Heligmothrips brevidens (Hood, 1918: 137)
Heligmothrips eiletus Mound, 1970: 458
Heligmothrips erinaceus (Karny, 1920: 41)
Heligmothrips frickeri Mound, 1970: 460
Heligmothrips gracilior (Hood, 1918: 136)
Heligmothrips reticulaticeps (Girault, 1927: 1)

Relationship data

A member of the Liothrips lineage of leaf-feeding Phlaeothripinae, but with long maxillary stylets that in three species are arranged into complex convolutions.

Distribution data

Known only from Australia, where the genus is widespread across the continent.

Biological data

All species of this genus feed and breed on the foliage of Casuarina and Allocasuarina trees. One undescribed species is kown from Kangaroo Island.

References

Mound LA (1970) Convoluted maxillary stylets and the systematics of some Phlaeothripine Thysanoptera from Casuarina trees in Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 18: 439–463.