Generic diagnosis

Medium-sized, macropterous or micropterous Idolothripinae. Head shape varying between species, usually slightly wider than long but longer than wide in a few species; compound eyes rarely prolonged ventrally; postocellar setae often long; maxillary stylets stout, wide apart and V-shaped in position, retracted almost to postocular setae; maxillary palp segment I no longer than wide, much shorter than segment II. Antennal segment III with 2 sense cones, IV with 4; segment VIII not constricted at base. Pronotum transverse, notopleural sutures complete; with 5 pairs of major setae. Prosternal basantra present but sometimes weak; mesopresternum transverse almost boat-shaped; metathoracic sternopleural sutures usually long and curved. Fore tarsal tooth absent in female, present in male; fore femora often swollen in male but not in female. Pelta extending widely across tergite II anterior margin; tergites with one pair of wing-retaining setae; tergite IX setae often long. Tube shorter than head. Male with tergite IX setae similar to those of female; sternal pores plates not present.

Nomenclatural data

Nesothrips Kirkaldy, 1907: 103. Type species Nesothrips oahuensis Kirkaldy, by monotypy.

Worldwide, there are 31 species listed in this genus (ThripsWiki, 2022), with 13 known from Australia

Australian species
Nesothrips aoristus Mound, 1974: 68
Nesothrips badius (Hood, 1918: 143)
Nesothrips barrowi Eow, Mound, Tree & Cameron, 2014: 215
Nesothrips brigalowi Eow, Mound, Tree & Cameron, 2014: 216
Nesothrips capricornis (Mound, 1974: 23)
Nesothrips carveri Mound 1974: 71
Nesothrips coorongi Eow, Mound, Tree & Cameron, 2014: 217
Nesothrips hemidiscus Mound 1974: 71
Nesothrips lativentris (Karny, 1913: 129)
Nesothrips minor (Bagnall, 1921: 287)
Nesothrips propinquus (Bagnall, 1916: 408)
Nesothrips rossi Eow, Mound, Tree & Cameron, 2014: 219
Nesothrips yanchepi Mound 1974: 75

Relationship data

This genus is placed in the Idolothripinae, Pygothripini, Diceratothripina, together with Carientothrips, another genus found commonly in Australia

Distribution data

Various species are found widely across Australia, and most of the other members of the genus are found in territories of the western Pacific Ocean.

Biological data

The species are spore-feeders on dead branches, with some species found particularly at the base of grass tussocks.

References

Eow LX, Mound LA, Tree DJ & Cameron SL (2014) Australian species of spore-feeding Thysanoptera in the genera Carientothrips and Nesothrips (Phlaeothripidae: Idolothripinae). Zootaxa 3821 (2): 193–221.

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