Generic diagnosis

Moderately large, brown, macropterous Phlaeothripinae. Head not produced in front of eyes, antennae arising a little ventrally with first ocellus projecting; genae with one pair of small setae in basal third; postocular setae acute, shorter than eyes; mouth cone short and rounded, stylets not retracted to postocular setae. Antennae 8-segmented; III with 3 sense cones, IV with 4; IV–VII with sharply defined basal stem, VIII broadly joined to VII. Pronotum about as long as head, not reduced in males; only epimeral setae and posteroangular setae well developed; notopleural sutures complete. Prosternal basantra absent; ferna frequently with anterior margins extended forwards; mesopresternum of two triangles; metathoracic sternopleural sutures long. Mesonotum and median longitudinal part of metanotum reticulate; mesonotal midlateral setae acute, shorter than metanotal median setae. Fore tarsi with tooth in both sexes; fore tibia without tubercle; fore coxae and fore femora usually large. Fore wings broad, slightly constricted medially, with about 20 duplicated cilia. Pelta slightly wider than long; tergites II–VII with 2 pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae, anterior tergites with small lateral setae in addition; median tergal campaniform sensilla large and close together; antecostal ridge concave around median longitudinal thickening; tergite IX setae less than one third as long as tube; anal setae less than half as long as tube; tube of female with irregular longitudinal ridges. Sternites V–VII with weak specialised reticulate areas. Male sternite VIII with transverse pore plate.

Nomenclatural data

Moultonides Kevin, 1963: 281. Replacement name for Moultonia Bagnall 1928: 199 [not Moultonia Bolivar - Orthoptera]. Type species Dolerothrips geijerae Moulton 1927, by monotypy.

Only one species is known in this genus.

Australian species
Moultonides geijerae (Moulton, 1927: 157)

Relationship data

This is one of three closely related genera that are found only on the leaves of Geijera. The single species placed in Moultonides differs from the species of Choleothrips in lacking a tooth at the inner apex of the fore tibiae. The relationships of these genera are not clear. They probably represent a single lineage, but the absence of prosternal basantra suggests that they are not related to members of the Haplothripini.

Distribution data

An Australian endemic that is known only from the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range in eastern Australia.

Biological data

The only species in this genus lives in leaf galls on the shrub Geijera parviflora, but there is no evidence that it induces these galls as it is usually found in association with the gall-inducing species of the genera Choleothrips and Sacothrips.

References

Mound LA (1971) The complex of Thysanoptera in rolled leaf galls on Geijera. Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 10: 83–97.