Carientothrips loisthus Mound, 1974 a: 29

Eow, Li-Xin, 2014, Australian species of spore-feeding Thysanoptera in the genera Carientothrips and Nesothrips (Thysanoptera: Idolothripinae), Zootaxa 3821 (2), pp. 193-221 : 206

Carientothrips loisthus Mound, 1974 a: 29

( Figs 5 , 19 , 40 , 45 )

Described originally from a single apterous female taken at Adelaide, South Australia, this species has subsequently been found widespread in eastern Australia as far north as Cape Tribulation in northern Queensland. Moreover it is common on Lord Howe Island, and has been taken widely in New Zealand ( Mound & Walker 1986). The major setae of this species are long and acute, as in the related species snowi , and the median pair of tergal discal setae are commonly longer than the more lateral pairs. These two species are similar to semirufus , although the tergal chaetotaxy is different as indicated in the key above.

Diagnosis. Apterous (macropterae rare), body brown to weakly bicoloured with head and thorax paler than brown abdomen, tube paler distally; legs variable in colour, tibiae usually yellowish; head longer than wide, projecting in front of eyes, postocellar and postocular setae long and finely pointed ( Fig. 5 ); stylets about 0.5 of head width apart and retracted to postocular setae; maxillary palp segment I twice as long as wide, segment II slightly shorter than I; eyes variable, small or very small, with few ommatidia ventrally. Pronotal am and aa setae shorter than the other 3 pairs, notopleural sutures complete. Female without fore tarsal tooth. Metanotum with little or no sculpture. Pelta with broad median lobe broadly joined to lateral areas ( Fig. 40 ); tergites with less than 10 discal setae, wing-retaining setae usually long and straight ( Fig. 45 ); tergite IX setae acute, almost as long as tube. Males smaller than females, fore tarsal tooth present, large in large males.

Figures

FIGURES 1–9. Carientothrips species. Head: (1) mjobergi, (2) flavitibia, (3) tasmanica, (4) alienatus major male, (5) loisthus macropterae. Ventral eye surface: (6) alienatus, (7) miskoi, (8) flavitibia, (9) tasmanica.

FIGURES 16–20. Carientothrips species. Maxillary palps: (16) palumai, (17) alienatus, (18) tasmanica, (19) loisthus, (20) flavitibia.

FIGURES 37–43. Carientothrips species. Metathorax and pelta: (37) horni, (38) acti, (39) vesper, (40) loisthus, (41) semirufus. Pelta: (42) palumai, (43) miskoi.

FIGURES 44–46. Carientothrips species. Tergites: (44) semirufus female segments II–III, (45) loisthus segments III–V, (46) snowi pelta and segment II–IV.