Generic diagnosis

Medium sized, macropterous Phlaeothripinae. Head usually longer than wide, vertex with sculpture weak or absent; postocular setae present; mouth cone short; maxillary stylets deeply retracted, one fifth to one third of head width apart, with maxillary bridge. Antennae 8-segmented; segment III with 3 sense-cones, IV with 4; segment VIII in most species slender and constricted to the base. Pronotum with little sculpture; notopleural sutures complete; usually with only 4 pairs of major setae. Prosternal basantra present; ferna well developed; mesopresternum complete or absent medially; metathoracic sternopleural sutures not developed. Fore tarsal tooth usually small in female, larger in male. Fore wings weakly constricted medially; with duplicated cilia. Pelta triangular or bell-shaped; tergites II‒VII each with two pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae; tergite IX setae slightly shorter than tube; tube rather slender. Male tergite IX setae S2 short and stout; sternite VIII with no pore plate.

Nomenclatural data

Mesandrothrips Priesner, 1933: 80. Type species Haplothrips inquilinus Priesner, 1921, by monotypy.

There are 21 species listed in this genus (ThripsWiki, 2022).

Australian species
Mesandrothrips austrosteensia Mound & Tree, 2019: 332
Mesandrothrips clavipes (Karny, 1920: 41)
Mesandrothrips darci (Girault, 1930: 1)
Mesandrothrips googongi Mound & Tree, 2019: 334
Mesandrothrips kurandae Mound & Tree, 2019: 335
Mesandrothrips lamingtoni Mound & Tree, 2019: 335
Mesandrothrips oleariae Mound & Tree, 2019: 336
Mesandrothrips pictipes (Bagnall, 1919: 273)
Mesandrothrips reedi (Pitkin, 1973: 330)

Relationship data

This genus is a member of the Haplothripini in the Phlaeothripinae. The species are very similar in appearance to species of Haplothrips and Xylaplothrips but have three sense cones on the third antennal segment. Rarely, small specimens occur with only two sense cones on this segment, but these are recognisable as Mesandrothrips species due to the elongate eight antennal segment. Two further genera share many character states, but Dolichothrips species have an elongate mouth cone, and Mesothrips species have the head sharply constricted at the base.

Distribution data

The genus is essentially from the Asian tropics and is recorded between India and Australia. In this continent, specimens have been found widely from Queensland to southern New South Wales.

Biological data

The species in this genus are possibly all predatory on other small arthropods.

References

Mound LA & Tree DC (2019) Rediagnoses of the Asian genera Xylaplothrips and Mesandrothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae, Haplothripini), with keys to Australian species. Zootaxa 4613 (2): 327–341.

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