Teuchothrips connatus (Hood)

Mound, Laurence A., Dang, Lihong & Tree, Desley J., 2023, Structural diversity among the leaf-feeding thrips of Australia in the genus Teuchothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae) with 20 new species, Zootaxa 5383 (4), pp. 441-475 : 452-454

Teuchothrips connatus (Hood)

( Figs 28–30 )

Liothrips connatus Hood, 1918: 135 .

Cryptothrips nigronympha Girault, 1928: 3 .

Hood described connatus from a single female taken by sweeping at Pentland [near Charters Towers], North Queensland, 24.xii.1912.Girault described nigronympha from “Females, brigalow,Wallumbilla, 17th October,1923”, and his slide bearing this data has three females, of which one has a distinctive maxillary bridge and can be recognised as Klambothrips walsinghami ( Mound 2008) . The maxillary stylets of connatus are about one fifth of the head width apart ( Fig. 28 ), the fore wing sub-basal setae arise in a straight line, and tergite IX setae S1 have very weakly capitate apices and are not quite as long as the tube.

Specimens studied. Queensland, Brigalow, Wallumbilla [500km west of Brisbane], two syntype females of nigronympha , 17 October 1923, in QM . Queensland, Taroom , 3 females from Eremophila deserti , iv.2007, in ANIC . Queensland, Carnarvon Station , 1 female from dead Acacia harpophylla , 15.x.2015, in QDPC .

Teuchothrips disjunctus (Hood)

( Fig. 31 )

Liothrips disjunctus Hood, 1918: 134 .

Described from one female taken on Thursday Island, Torres Strait, Hood stated that antennal segments III–VI are lemon yellow with VI “infuscated at apex”. Specimens (in ANIC) that are closely similar in colour and structure to this holotype female have been studied from Alyxia spicata in Queensland, Horn Island (adjoining Thursday Island), also Mareeba, and from Northern Territory, Litchfield Park (140km south of Darwin) and Nhulenbuy. Moreover, in QDPC there is a series of very similar specimens taken from Alyxia spicata at Kuranda, northern Queensland. In contrast, the name disjunctus is applied to a thrips that damages the leaves of Callistemon species, including cultivars, and has antennal segment III largely yellow, VI almost entirely dark brown, and segments IV–V brown in the apical half. This horticultural pest form is found widely in southern Australia as well as in New Zealand ( Mound & Walker 1986). The form on Callistemon has the head usually slightly longer than the specimens from Alyxia , but otherwise they are closely similar in structure.

Populations with specimens that are closely similar in structure to the interpretation of disjunctus adopted here have been studied (in ANIC) from the leaves, and usually within galls, on the following plant genera, arranged by plant family: Apocynaceae ( Alyxia ); Escalloniaceae ( Polyosma ); Myrtaceae ( Callistemon , Decaspermum ); Oleaceae ( Chionanthus ); Phyllanthaceae ( Antidesma ; Glochidion ); Proteaceae ( Stenocarpus ); Vitaceae ( Tetrastigma ). However, there is variation within each population in character states, including head shape and sculpture of the vertex, also setal lengths and apices. A form found at more than one site in galls on Tetrastigma leaves has the head clearly longer than specimens from Callistemon , and the mid-dorsal setal pair on the vertex slightly more robust ( Fig. 31 ). A rather similar form found in a leaf gall on Polyosma , has this pair of setae on the vertex even larger. It is possible that many of these various forms that are referred to under the name disjunctus may represent distinct species, each of which is associated with a particular host plant. Currently, and without far more extensive sampling, it is not possible to satisfactorily distinguish these differing populations on structural characters.

Specimens studied. In ANIC: Australian Capital Territory, Canberra , CSIRO Gardens , 2 males, 3 females and larvae from Callistemon rolled leaves, 8.v.2002 ; National Botanic Gardens , 1 male, 1 female in Callistemon rolled leaves, 12.vi.1981 ; Black Mt. , both sexes from Callistemon leaves, 10.x.2002 and 15.iii.2003 ; Yarralumla Nursery , 8 females, 1 male from Callistemon cultivar galled leaf, 16.iii.2003 . New South Wales, Dubbo , 4 males, 6 females from rolled leaves of seedling Callistemon , v.2002 ; Gosford, 1 female, 1 male from Callistemon , 1983. Queensland, Brisbane , Mt Glorious , 4 males from Callistemon saligna , 9.vii.2003 . South Australia, Adelaide , 8 females, 5 males from Callistemon citrinum , iii–iv.1996 . Western Australia, Albany , 3 females, 2 males from Callistemon , 15.x.2005 . NEW ZEALAND, Auckland, both sexes from Callistemon citrinum rolled leaves, viii. 1968 and iii, 1972.

In QDPC: Australian Capital Territory, Botanic Gardens , 5 females, 2 males from Callistemon citrinum leaf galls, 20.ii.2012 . Queensland, Kuranda , 3 males, 3 females from Alyxia spicata , 2.xi.2008 . Karumba, Carpentaria , 3 males, 4 females from Antidesma ghaesembilla leaves, 27.v.2009 .

Figures

FIGURES 27–36. Teuchothrips of Australia. (27) T. clavipilus head. T. connatus 28–30: (28) head & pronotum anterior margin; (29) antenna; (30) metanotum & pelta. T. disjunctus (31) head. T. dodonaea 32–34: (32) head & pronotum; (33) antenna; (34) metanotum & pelta. T. froggatti 35–36: (35) head & pronotum; (36) metanotum & pelta.