Generic diagnosis

Small, apterous, micropterous or macropterous Phlaeothripinae-Haplothripini with antennal segment III having a sub-basal flange. Head longer than wide, vertex with few sculpture lines, post ocular setae well developed, compound eyes smaller ventrally than dorsally; maxillary stylets retracted to postocular setae, about one-third of head width apart with conspicuous bridge - or maxillary styles close together with weak bridge. Antennae 8-segmented, segment III with 1 or 2 sense cones, IV with 2 or 4 sense cones; VIII either short and broad or long and slender. Pronotum almost smooth, with 5 pairs of major setae varying between species from short to long, notopleural sutures complete. Prosternal basantra prominent, ferna large; mesopresternum complete or divided into 2 triangles; metathoracic sternopleural sutures absent. Fore tarsal tooth absent or very small at inner apex of tarsus. Pelta usually D-shaped; wing retaining setae minute in apterae; tergite IX setae variable; tube shorter than head. Male sternite VIII with no pore plate.

Nomenclatural data

Priesneria Bagnall, 1926: 549. Type species Priesneria kellyana Bagnall, 1926, by monotypy.

There are 6 species listed in this genus (ThripsWiki, 2022), but they are probably not all closely related.

Australian species
Priesneria akestra Mound & Wells, 2015: 198
Priesneria kellyana Bagnall, 1926: 549
Priesneria longistylosa Pitkin, 1973: 327
Priesneria peronis Mound & Minaei, 2007: 2974

Relationship data

This is a member of the Phlaeothripinae Tribe, Haplothripini, but the species included in the genus differ greatly amongst each other in the maxillary stylet arrangement as well as the length and apices of the major setae. The sub-basal ridge on antennal segment III, currently considered diagnostic, is possibly not a good indicator of relationships.

Distribution data

Apart from the four species described from eastern Australia, two further species are listed under this genus, one from Hawaii and one from India.

Biological data

The members of this genus are possibly predatory rather than phytophagous.

References

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

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)