Generic diagnosis

Medium sized, micropterous or macropterous Phlaeothripinae with wing retaining setae on tergite VIII. Head about as long as wide, genae convex and incut behind eyes; vertex usually with some reticulate sculpture; maxillary stylets either short or retracted to postocular setae. Antennae 8-segmented, segments III and IV each with 2 sense cones; VIII narrowed to base. Pronotum with 4 pairs of capitate major setae (either anteroangulars or midlaterals absent); surface often with reticulation; notopleural sutures complete. Prosternal basantra absent, ferna large; mesopresternum weak or absent; metathoracic sternopleural sutures absent. Pelta bell-shaped; tergites II–VIII each with 2 pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae (weak on VIII); tergite lateral setae with assymetric capitate apices, on IX shorter than tube. Male sternite VIII without pore plate.

Nomenclatural data

Solomonthrips Mound, 1970: 104. Type species Solomonthrips greensladei Mound, 1970, by original designation.

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

Australian species
Solomonthrips australiensis Okajima, 1982: 45
Solomonthrips brooksi Okajima, 1982: 47

Relationship data

Species of this genus have a remarkable pronotal chaetotaxy, with one of the typical five pairs of major setae missing, and they all have wing-retaining setae on the eighth abdominal tergite.

Distribution data

This genus was described originally for five species from Solomon Islands. Four further species were added subsequently, one each from East Kalimantan and Fiji, and two from Australia. These two species are known only from northern Queensland.

Biological data

The species are fungus-feeding and apparently live in leaf litter.

References

Mound LA (1970) Thysanoptera from the Solomon Islands. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology 24: 83–126.

Okajima S (1982) Three new species of the genus Solomonthrips Mound from Australia and Indonesia (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae). Transactions of the Shikoku Entomological Society 16: 45–50.

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