Paracholeothrips Moulton, 1968

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2025, Intra-generic diversity in Paracholeothrips, an Australian genus of domicilebuilding phlaeothripine Thysanoptera on Acacia phyllodes, Zootaxa 5719 (1), pp. 139-145 : 139-140

Paracholeothrips Moulton

Paracholeothrips Moulton, 1968: 110 . Type species Paracholeothrips validus Moulton , by monotypy. Despite the extensive review by Crespi et al. (2004), relationships between some of the genera of Phlaeothripinae in Australia on Acacia phyllodes continue to be obscure. The two species in the genus Turmathrips share many character states with those of Paracholeothrips species, notably the elongate form of the prosternal ferna and the longitudinal division of the mesonotum. However, both these species have a pronounced tubercle on the fore femora. Similarly, the species of Lichanothrips share many character states with those of Paracholeothrips , but in both sexes of Lichanothrips species the fore femora are more enlarged, and in females the fustis is broader rather than linear, and the subgenital plate unusually broad and sometimes with a toothed margin.

There is considerable variation in appearance between the species of Paracholeothrips , and within some of the species considerable differences in body size are known. Despite the remarkable differences in structure between some of these species they all share the following character states: Macropterous; head longer than wide and narrower at base; maxillary stylets not deeply retracted into head, about one-third of head width apart. Antennae 8-segmented, III with one sense cone (two in one species), IV with 3 sense cones. Pronotum notopleural sutures complete; mesonotum with complete median longitudinal division (rarely incomplete). Fore femur without tubercles; fore tibia sometimes with apical tubercle; fore tarsus with large or elongate tooth. Prosternal basantra weak or absent, ferna large and sometimes longer than wide with median margins closely parallel; sternopleural sutures usually present. Pelta broad (except one species); tergites II–VII each with 2 pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae; tergite IX setae slender in both sexes; tube shorter than head. Male similar to female, fore tarsal tooth smaller; sternite VIII pore plate present or absent.