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.