Generic diagnosis

Small to large, brown species of Idolothripinae. Head usually slightly longer than wide, eyes large; maxillary stylets broad, retracted almost to postocular setae, about one-third of head width apart; mouth cone broadly rounded, maxillary palps stout. Antennae 7-segmented or with VII–VIII closely joined; III with 2 sense cones, IV with 2 or 4 sense cones. Pronotum transverse, relatively longer in large male with median thickening, notopleural sutures complete. Prosternal basantra present or absent; ferna large; mesopresternum broadly boat-shaped or almost fully eroded; metathoracic sternopleural sutures well developed. Fore tarsal tooth large in male, small or absent in female. Fore wing broad, almost parallel-sided, with duplicated cilia. Pelta with broad lateral wings; tergite II eroded laterally; tergites II–VII each with one pair of weakly sigmoid wing-retaining setae; tergite IX with three pairs of slender setae in both sexes; sternites with one row of small discal setae, with reticulate sculpture more evident in male than in female.

Nomenclatural data

Ozothrips Mound & Palmer, 1983: 24. Type species Ozothrips priscus Mound & Palmer, by original designation.

There are six species recognised in this genus, of which five were described from New Zealand (ThripsWiki, 2022).

Australian species
Ozothrips janus Mound & Palmer, 1983: 26.
Ozthrips meanjini Mound & Tree, 2021: 174.

Relationship data

This genus is placed in the Idolothripinae, Pygothripini, Pygothripina. Despite being similar in size and shape to Neosmerinthothrips, it is closely related to the southern hemisphere genera Heptathrips and Cleistothrips. However, the Australian species meanjini shares many character states with species of Priesneriana, and is probably not closely related to the five species of Ozothrips from New Zealand.

Distribution data

Five species were originally described in this genus, all from New Zealand, but one was subsequently recorded from Norfolk Island, and the sixth species was described from Southeastern Queensland.

Biological data

These species all feed on fungal spores, and live on dead branches,

References

Mound LA & Palmer JM (1983) The generic and tribal classification of spore-feeding Thysanoptera (Phlaeothripidae: Idolothripinae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology 46: 1–174.

Mound LA & Tree DJ (2021) Tubuliferous Thysanoptera in Australia with an enlarged tenth abdominal segment (Phlaeothripidae, Idolothripinae), including six new species. Zootaxa, 4951 (1): 167–181.

Mound LA & Wells A (2015) Endemics and adventives: Thysanoptera (Insecta) Biodiversity of Norfolk, a tiny Pacific Island. Zootaxa 3964 (2): 183–210.

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