Generic diagnosis

Medium sized, often bicoloured, macropterous or apterous Phlaeothripinae with prosternal basantra longer than wide. Head longer than wide, paired postocular setae present; maxillary stylets retracted to level of postocular setae, maxillary bridge present. Antennae 8-segmented; segment III with 1 or 2 sense cones, IV with 2 or 3 sense cones. Pronotal anteromarginal setae small, also sometimes midlateral setae; notopleural sutures complete. Prosternal basantra large, often much longer than wide; mesopresternum complete; metathoracic sternopleural sutures absent (long in lucasseni). Fore tarsal tooth present in both sexes; fore tibia commonly with tooth on inner margin and with subapical seta-bearing tubercle. Fore wings constricted medially, duplicated cilia present or absent. Pelta semicircular to bell-shaped; tergites II–VII each with 2 pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae; tergite IX setae S1 and S2 pointed or capitate; anal setae much longer than tube.

Nomenclatural data

Podothrips Hood, 1913: 67. Type species Podothrips semiflavus Hood, 1913, by monotypy.

There are 31 species known in this genus (ThripsWiki, 2022).

Australian species
Podothrips anomalus Mound & Minaei, 2007: 2967
Podothrips ardis Mound & Minaei, 2007: 2969
Podothrips australis Ritchie, 1974: 266
Podothrips barrowi Mound & Minaei, 2007: 2970
Podothrips lucasseni (Kruger, 1890: 105)
Podothrips moundi Ritchie, 1974: 274
Podothrips orion Ritchie, 1974: 277
Podothrips regina Mound & Minaei, 2007: 2971
Podothrips ritchiei Mound & Minaei, 2007: 2972
Podothrips websteri Mound & Minaei, 2007: 2972
Podothrips xanthopus Hood, 1919: 82

Relationship data

This genus is a member of the Haplothripini in the subfamily Phlaeothripinae, but most species have unusually elongate prosternal basantra, and the fore tibiae have a small tooth on the inner apex.

Distribution data

Members of this genus are found widely in the Old World Tropics, but with one unusual species known only from Brazil. In Australia, the species are found mainly in the North and West of the continent.

Biological data

Species of this genus live on the leaves of Poaceae, where they are presumed to be predatory on Coccoidea.

References

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

Ritchie JM (1974) A revision of the grass-living genus Podothrips (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae). Journal of Entomology (B) 43: 261–282.

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