Cartomothrips Stannard

Mound, Laurence A. & Walker, Annette K., 2012, The Australia-New Zealand connection re-visited, with two new species of Cartomothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae), Zootaxa 3487, pp. 58-64 : 59

Cartomothrips Stannard

Cartomothrips Stannard, 1962: 38 . Type-species C. browni Stannard.

Described originally for two species, one from Australia (Victoria) and one from New Zealand, two further species were described subsequently from southern Australia ( Mound & Walker 1982). A new identification key to the species in the genus is provided here, because some character states in the previously published key ( Mound & Walker 1982) have proved difficult to interpret when examining more recent and larger samples. In contrast, the chaetotaxy of tergite IX of males, and the form of the pore plate on sternite VIII of males, seem to provide reliable species distinctions. Throughout most of the family Phlaeothripidae , the chaetotaxy of tergite IX is remarkably stable, with three pairs of major setae (referred to as S1, S2 and S3), and a small intermediate seta between both S1/ S2 and S2/S3 ( Fig. 15 ). Males of Phlaeothripinae usually have setae S2 short and stout, and in the males of three Cartomothrips species these setae are exceptionally small, 20–30 microns long and actually shorter than the pairs of intermediate setae. In contrast, in the males of the New Zealand species described below setae S2 are about 50 microns long, more than half the length of S1, and in the sixth species, C. manukae , setae S2 are as elongate as those of females and equally as long and slender as S1 and S3.

Systematic relationships of the genus remain enigmatic. Stannard suggested that it was related to Teuchothrips , but species of that genus have only a single sensorium on antennal segment III, as in all of the leaf-feeding members of the Liothrips -lineage ( Mound & Marullo 1996). In contrast, Cartomothrips species have usually been found within the dry seed capsules of particular Myrtaceae species, where they are presumed to feed on fungal hyphae. Moreover, they all have three sensoria on antennal segment III and, with the exception of one new species described below, they all have three sensoria on antennal segment IV. This antennal sensoria formula is more typical of the fungus-feeding species in the Phlaeothrips - lineage ( Mound & Marullo 1996). Cartomothrips is probably derived from Hoplothrips , a worldwide genus with species on dead branches, and a generic definition is provided by Mound & Walker (1982, 1984).

Figures

FIGURES 7 – 15. Cartomothrips species. Thoracic sternites 7 – 10: (7) abrsi; (8) tofti; (9) browni; (10) neboissi. (11) browni, head showing postoccipital apophyses. (12) abrsi, male head with weak occipital apophyses. Male sternite VIII with pore plate 13 – 14: (13) tofti; (14) abrsi. (15) tofti, tergites VII – IX and tube of female [S 1 & S 2 — major setae (S 3 arises ventro-laterally); Int—intermediate setae].