Thaumatothrips Karny, 1922

Mound, Laurence A., Tree, Desley J. & Wells, Alice, 2022, Convoluted maxillary stylets among Australian Thysanoptera Phlaeothripinae associated mainly with Casuarinaceae trees, Zootaxa 5190 (3), pp. 301-332 : 329-330

Thaumatothrips Karny

Thaumatothrips Karny, 1922: 267 .

Type species Thaumatothrips froggatti Karny , by monotypy.

This genus is a member of the Liothrips -lineage of Phlaeothripinae ( Mound & Marullo 1996) , and the only known species shares most character states with the many species in the worldwide genus Liothrips . The species of Liothrips are leaf-feeders and often induce leaf galls, although some, such as L. piperinus , invade the galls of various other Phlaeothripinae (Mound 2020) , but whether as predators or as phytophagous kleptoparasites is not known. Karny described T. froggatti as a gall thrips, because it is found breeding in very large numbers in woody galls on certain Casuarina trees. However, subsequent studies ( Mound & Crespi 1992) showed that two rather small and insignificant-looking species of Iotatubothrips induce the woody galls ( Mound et al. 1998). T. froggatti is actually a phytophagous kleptoparasite within these woody galls. It is probably related to genera such as Turmathrips and Warithrips , that comprise gall-invading species on Acacia shrubs and trees ( Crespi et al. 2004).

Diagnosis. Robust, macropterous and micropterous Phlaeothripinae with fore femora bearing row of teeth. Head longer than wide in macropterae, scarcely longer than wide in small males; postocular setae long and capitate, 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 ( Fig. 47 ); fore femora swollen with 4 or 5 teeth on inner margin, fore tibial inner margin rugose. Pelta elongate-triangular but eroded and small in micropterae; tergites II–VII each with 2 pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae that are 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.

Figures

FIGURES 40–50. Akthethrips, Enigmathrips, Phallothrips, Thaumatothrips. A. strobus 40-42: (40) head; (41) pronotum; (42) metanotum & pelta. E. carnarvoni 43–46: (43) antenna; (44) head; (45) prosternites; (46) pronotum. (47) T. froggatti head & fore legs. P. houstoni 48–50: (48) microptera; (49) macroptera; (50) macroptera tergites V–VII.