Generic diagnosis

Medium sized, macropterous and micropterous Phlaeothripinae with tooth-bearing fore femora. Head clearly longer than wide but scarcely longer than wide in small males; postocular setae long, but vertex of micropterae with 2 pairs of very long slender setae; mouth cone short, rounded; maxillary stylets retracted to near postocular setae and close together medially. Antennae 8-segmented, relatively short, segment III with one sense cone, IV with 3 sense cones. Pronotum much narrower than prothorax; with 5 pairs of capitate major setae in macropterae, but 6 pairs of very long and slender setae in micropterae; notopleural sutures complete. Prosternal basantra absent; ferna large; mesopresternum reduced to 2 triangles; metathoracic sternopleural sutures long. Fore wings broad, with 12–18 duplicated cilia. Fore tarsal tooth massive; fore femora swollen with 4 teeth on inner margin. Pelta elongate triangular, but eroded in micropterae; tergites II–VII each with 2 pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae, but these setae straight and long in micropterae; tergal lateral setae capitate in macropterae but very long and slender in micropterae; tergite IX setae about as long as tube; tube shorter than head. Male tergite IX S2 shorter than S1; sternites without pore plates.

Nomenclatural data

Thaumatothrips Karny, 1922: 267. Type species Thaumatothrips froggatti Karny, 1922, by monotypy.

Only one species is recognised in this genus.

Australian species
Thaumatothrips froggatti Karny, 1922: 268

Relationship data

The structurally aberrant species for which this genus was erected is probably derived within the Liothrips-lineage, and it is possibly related to Kladothrips, the gall-inducing thrips on Acacia trees in Australia.

Distribution data

Recorded from both north eastern and northwestern Australia.

Biological data

This species is a kleptoparasite, invading the woody galls induced by Iotatubothrips species on small branches of at least two species of Casuarina trees, C. cristata in eastern Australia and C. obesa in northwestern Australia.

References

Mound LA & Crespi BJ (1992) The complex of phlaeothripine thrips (Insecta, Thysanoptera) in woody stem galls of Casuarina in Australia. Journal of Natural History 26: 395–406.

Mound LA, Crespi BJ & Tucker A (1998) Polymorphism and kleptoparasitism in thrips (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) from woody galls on Casuarina trees. Australian Journal of Entomology 37: 8–16.