Haplothrips bituberculatus (Girault)

Mound, Laurence A., 2019, Identification of Haplothrips species from Malesia (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae), Zootaxa 4623 (1), pp. 41-50 : 45

Haplothrips bituberculatus (Girault)

Podothrips bituberculatus Girault, 1927: 2

Although stated to occur across the whole continent of Australia ( Mound & Minaei 2007), very few specimens are available in the Australian National Insect Collection from south of Canberra. The species has been taken commonly across the northern half of Australia, but also on Norfolk Island and in Sandaun Province of Papua New Guinea. Both within and between samples, this species exhibits considerable variation. The hind tibiae are usually extensively yellow but with a variable extent and intensity of light brown shading medially. Antennal segment IV usually bears four sense cones, but on many specimens the inner pair fuse to produce a single large sense cone, and thus a total of only three on this segment. Both sexes vary in size, and large individuals have larger fore legs and fore tarsal tooth. However, only the largest of males have the characteristic pair of tubercles on the inner margin of the fore tibia, from which the species derives its name. Such males have a larger pronotum, with a more obvious longitudinal ridge medially. The specimens listed below from Timor-Leste are closely similar in structure and chaetotaxy to Australian specimens, but the available samples included no large individuals. The mid and hind tibiae of these specimens are all clear yellow, and the fore tarsal tooth is very small in both sexes. The significance of these variants cannot be assessed without more extensive collecting.

Specimens studied from Timor-Leste, mainly from dead branches: Aileu, 1 male, 22.viii.2018; Fatu Kero, 3 females 7 males, 27.viii.2018; Gleno, 6 females, 2 males, 28.iii.2018 (Alice Wells & LAM) .