Generic diagnosis

Dark brown, macropterous Phlaeothripinae. Head weakly prolonged in front of eyes, genae slightly to strongly toothed behind eyes, postocular setae present or absent; eyes larger dorsally than ventrally; maxillary stylets moderately close together medially; mouth cone short, apex rounded. Antennae 8-segmented, III with one sense cone, IV with 2 or 3. Pronotum with distinct median longitudinal apodeme; midlateral and antero-marginal setae not distinguished from discal setae, notopleural sutures complete. Prosternal basantra absent, ferna well developed, mesopresternum absent or reduced to small median plate associated with posterior point of spinasternum; metathoracic sterno-pleural sutures elongate. Mesonotum with short posteromedian cleft; metanotum reticulate, median setae small. Fore tarsus with stout tooth in both sexes; fore tibia usually with apical tubercle and strong ridge on inner margin; fore femora with tubercle on distal half of inner margin, frequently with external apical margin enlarged; mid and hind femora moderately swollen. Fore wing broad, with 2 sub-basal setae but no duplicated cilia. Pelta reticulate, almost rectangular, paired campaniform sensilla present; tergites II–VI each with 2 pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae, pair on VII frequently reduced; tergite IX setae of female long and slender, but S2 of male shorter and stouter than S1; tube of female slightly longer than tergite IX, anal setae slender; stout seta-like supra-anal process dorso-medially within anal ring of both sexes. Sternites with transverse row of small discal setae. Male sternite VIII with weakly defined pore plate.

Nomenclatural data

Sartrithrips Mound & Morris, 2001: 414. Type species Sartrithrips popinator Mound & Morris, 2001, by original designation.

There are seven species recognised in this genus.

Australian species
Sartrithrips areius Crespi, Morris & Mound, 2004: 281
Sartrithrips bapto Mound & Morris, 2001: 415
Sartrithrips luctator Mound & Morris, 2001: 415
Sartrithrips mars Mound & Morris, 2001: 416
Sartrithrips popinator Mound & Morris, 2001: 416
Sartrithrips pyctus Mound & Morris, 2001: 417
Sartrithrips vesper Mound & Morris, 2001: 417

Relationship data

Molecular data suggest a relationship to the Australian genus Panoplothrips, in which species have a similar biology.

Distribution data

An Australian endemic genus with species found in semi-arid areas of north-western and northern Australia.

Biological data

These species build nests or domiciles in which to breed by glueing together pairs of Acacia phyllodes.

References

Crespi BJ, Morris DC & Mound LA (2004) Evolution of ecological and behavioural diversity: Australian Acacia thrips as model organisms. Australian Biological Resources Study & Australian National Insect Collection, CSIRO, Canberra, Australia, pp. 1–328.

Mound LA & Morris, DC (2001) Domicile constructing phlaeothripine Thysanoptera from Acacia phyllodes in Australia: Dunatothrips Moulton and Sartrithrips gen.n., with a key to associated genera. Systematic Entomology 26: 401–419.