cycasi   
cycasi   
mouldeni   
cycasi prosternites
mouldeni prosternites

Generic diagnosis

Small, macropterous Phlaeothripinae with stylets broad and mouth-cone long. Head elongate with vertex elevated longitudinally; one pair of postocular setae present; genae smooth; eyes rather small; ocelli normal; maxillary stylets unusually broad, as in Holothrips species, long, close together medially, retracted to ocellar region; mouth-cone exceptionally long and extending to metasternum. Antennae 8-segmented; segment III with one sense cone, IV with 2 sense cones, VIII slender, weakly constricted at base. Pronotum much shorter than head, with 5 pairs of major setae; notopleural sutures complete. Prosternal basantra present; ferna and mesopresternuum transverse; metathoracic sternopleural suture absent. Fore legs unarmed in both sexes. Fore wings weakly constricted medially, without duplicated cilia. Pelta bell-shaped; tergites II–VII each with two pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae; tube short, tapered, anal setae a little longer than tube. Male sternal pore plate absent.

Nomenclatural data

Stomothrips Okajima, 2000: 706. Type species Stomothrips cycasi Okajima, 2000, by monotypy.

There are only two species known in this genus, both from Australia.  

Australian species
Stomothrips cycasi Okajima, 2000: 707
Stomothrips mouldeni Mound & Minaei, 2006: 14

Relationship data

The mouth cone of the two known species of this Phlaeothripinae genus is particularly long, but the maxillary stylets are unusually broad, suggesting a relationship to the genus Holothrips and the members of the Docessissophothripini.

Distribution data

Both species of this genus are known only from northern Australia.

Biological data

Apparently phytophagous, both species were found living on the leaves of Cycas species.

References

Mound LA & Minaei K (2006) New fungus-feeding thrips (Thysanoptera-Phlaeothripinae) from tropical Australia. Zootaxa 1150: 1–17.

Okajima S (2000) The first cycad-associated thrips in the family Phlaeothripidae, Stomothrips cycasi, gen. et sp. nov. (Thysanoptera). Invertebrate Taxonomy 14: 705–708.