Heligmothrips eiletus Mound, 1970

Mound, Laurence A., Tree, Desley J. & Wells, Alice, 2022, Convoluted maxillary stylets among Australian Thysanoptera Phlaeothripinae associated mainly with Casuarinaceae trees, Zootaxa 5190 (3), pp. 301-332 : 319

Heligmothrips eiletus Mound

( Figs 54, 55 , 60 )

Heligmothrips eiletus Mound, 1970: 458

This unusual species was described from a single micropterous male but has subsequently been found to be more widespread. Unlike any of the other known Heligmothrips species, the maxillary stylets are arranged into two discrete but irregular coils ( Fig. 54 ). The stylets of the larva are more irregularly convoluted ( Fig. 55 ). The species is also unusual in having only two sense cones on antennal segment IV, and a stout pair of capitate setae medially on the metanotum ( Fig. 60 ). Despite being found at several localities, no winged specimens have been collected.

Specimens studied. All micropterae. Holotype male, New South Wales: Moree 45km north, from Casuarina glauca , 16.vii.1968. Victoria: Mildura Botanic Gardens, 6 females, 8 males with larvae on C. obesa , 13.iv.2022; New South Wales: Balranald 20km west, 1 male with larvae on C. obesa , 14.iv.2022; Moree 40km north, 4 females, 7 males on C. cristata , 20.v.2022.

Figures

FIGURES 51–59. Heligmothrips species heads and stylets. (51) brevidens; (52) erinaceus; (53) gracilior; (54) eiletus; (55) eiletus larva; (56) exallus; (57) macropus; (58) narrabri; (59) xantoskelus.

FIGURES 60–68. Heligmothrips species thorax and antenna. (60) eiletus; (61) narrabri; (62) exallus; (63) xanthoskelus; (64) exallus; (65) xanthoskelus; (66) narrabri; (67) exallus antenna; (68) macropus pronotum.