Carientothrips miskoi Mound, 1974 a: 31

(Figs 7, 22, 43)

Nesothrips melinus Mound, 1974 a: 72 . syn.n.

This species was described from three females taken in southern New South Wales, and the synonym melinus from three males taken in Queensland. More recently the two sexes have been collected together from several sites in eastern New South Wales, the ACT, and southeastern Queensland. It is remarkably similar in general appearance to Nesothrips propinquus, but is readily distinguished by the different maxillary palps. The sexes differ significantly in colour. The females are brown to bicoloured, with the tube distinctively sharply pale yellow on the distal third (Fig. 22). In contrast, males are much paler, the body and tube with a brownish yellow gradient. Most specimens have been taken in leaf litter .

Diagnosis. Apterous without ocelli, female brown or with head and thorax paler than dark abdomen, tube sharply pale yellow on distal third (Fig. 22); antennal segments I–II yellow, III–VI largely yellow with apices increasingly shaded brown, VII–VIII brown. Head slightly wider than long, not projecting in front of eyes; eyes with a cluster of about 3 ommatidia near ventral posterior margin but with only one ommatidium displaced to posterior (Fig.7); postocellar setae small and blunt, postocular setae longer and blunt; maxillary stylets one third of head width apart, retracted to eyes; maxillary palp segment I twice as long as wide, segment II longer than I with weak transverse lines; pronotal am small and acute; remaining 4 pairs blunt to weakly capitate; notopleural sutures complete; metanotum weakly sculptured; pelta wide, median lobe large, broadly connected to lateral areas, basal with continuos transverse sculpture (Fig. 43); tergites III–VI with transverse row of minute discal setae; tergite IX setae blunt and 0.6 as long as tube; tube shorter than head. Male smaller than female, mainly brownish yellow, tergite IX setae 0.8 as long as tube; fore tarsus with small sharp or stout tooth.