Carientothrips acti Mound, 1974 a: 25

(Figs 29, 38)

This species appears to be widespread in Eucalyptus leaf-litter in south-eastern Australia. It has been taken commonly around Canberra, but has also been seen from southern New South Wales, Victoria (including Mallacoota on the southern coast), Kangaroo Island in South Australia, and also southeast Queensland, Mt. Coottha, Brisbane. Only one macropterous individual has been seen, a female from South Australia near Keith. Mound (1974b) referred to the “ acti -species group”, comprising japonicus, pictilis, reedi and vesper, but this is a poorly defined group, and two further species, semirufus and loisthus, are also rather similar in having a relatively long head and slender body.

Diagnosis. Apterous, rarely macropterous, body brown, or with head and thorax paler; head long, reticulate on ocellar region and laterally, ocelli absent, postocellar setae slender and acute, postocular stout and capitate, maxillary stylets less than 0.3 of head width apart and retracted to eyes, maxillary palp segment I 2.5–3 times as long as wide, segment II 0.5–0.7 as long as I; eyes well developed dorsally but small ventrally with only 4–5 visible ommatidia; antennal segment III with sharp-edged swelling near base (Fig. 29). Pronotal notopleural sutures incomplete, am setae minute. Metanotum with several small setae anteromedially (Fig. 38). Pelta wide with broadly flattened median lobe; tube shorter than head. Male smaller than female, with small fore tarsal tooth.