Generic diagnosis

Small, usually macropterous Phlaeothripinae. Head longer than wide; postocular setae present; genae without stout setae; mouth-cone short and rounded; maxillary stylets retracted at least to postocular setae; maxillary bridge present. Antennae 8-segmented; segment III with 2 (rarely 1 or 3) sense cones; IV with 3 (or 4) sense cones. Pronotum with little sculpture; notopleural sutures usually complete; anteromarginal setae reduced or vestigial, other four pairs of major setae usually capitate. Prosternal basantra and ferna large, mesopresternum usually complete, rarely divided into 2 or 3 plates; metathoracic sternopleural sutures absent. Fore tarsus with forwardly directed tooth in both sexes. Fore wing weakly constricted medially, with or without duplicated cilia. Pelta usually trapezoidal; tergites II‒VII usually each with 2 pairs of wing-retaining setae; tube shorter than head, anal setae almost twice as long as tube. Male tergite IX setae S2 short and stout; sternite VIII without pore plate.

Nomenclatural data

Karnyothrips Watson, 1923: 23. Type species Karynia weigeli Watson 1922, by monotypy (= Anthothrips flavipes Jones).

Although there are 49 species listed in this genus they are not likely to comprise a single evolutionary lineage (ThripsWiki, 2022).

Australian species
Karnyothrips flavipes (Jones, 1912: 18)
Karnyothrips melaleucus (Bagnall, 1911: 61)

Relationship data

A member of the Phlaeothripinae Tribe Haplothripini, the species in this weakly diagnosed genus share many character states with species of Apterygothrips and Haplothrips.

Distribution data

Species placed in this genus have been described from many parts of the world. The two species known from Australia have been taken widely in the northern subtropical parts of the continent. They are both known from many countries, and are not likely to be native to Australia.

Biological data

Both species recorded from Australia are known to be predators, often of Coccoidea (Palmer & Mound 1990).

References

Mound LA & Minaei K (2007) Australian thrips of the Haplothrips lineage (Insecta: Thysanoptera). Journal of Natural History 41: 2919–2978.

Palmer JM & Mound LA (1990) Thysanoptera. Chapter 22. 5: 67–76. In Rosen D [ed.] The Armoured Scale Insects, Their Biology, Natural Enemies and Control Vol B. Amsterdam.

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