Hoplothrips connexus (Hood)

Mound, Laurence A., Wang, Jun & Tree, Desley J., 2020, The genus Hoplothrips in Australia (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae), with eleven new species, Zootaxa 4718 (3), pp. 301-323 : 305

Hoplothrips connexus (Hood)

Trichothrips connexus Hood, 1919: 84 .

Female macroptera. Body, femora and antennae brown, tibiae, tarsi and antennal segment III yellow. Head widest behind eyes and narrowing to base, with little or no sculpture; postocular setae weakly capitate, as long as dorsal eye length; maxillary stylets retracted to postocular setae, parallel and about one third of head width apart. Antennal segments III–VI each with 2 long sense cones, VIII broad at base and shorter than VII. Pronotum with 4 pairs of major weakly capitate setae, am setae minute. Mesonotum without sculpture, lateral setal pair minute. Metanotum without sculpture, median setae small and pointed. Prosternal basantra absent; ferna slender, not meeting medially; mesopresternum not present, mesoeusteral anterior margin heavily eroded. Fore tarsal tooth longer than half of tarsal width. Pelta with slender lateral wings; tergites III–VII each with one pair of curved wing-retaining setae, the anterior pair on each tergite weak or absent; II–VII with median tergal setal pair long, extending beyond posterior margin of each tergite; IX with setae S1 and S2 finely pointed, almost as long as tube.

Male aptera. Compound eyes reduced to 3 facets; prosternal ferna larger; tergite IX S2 setae much shorter than S1; sternite VII with specialised reticulate areas laterally, VIII with transverse, slender pore plate.

Specimens studied. New South Wales, Maroota , 2 females from leaf litter, 4.iv.1968 [compared to holotype at US National Museum in 1972]. Australian Capital Territory, Black Mountain , 1 male from twigs, 13.vii.1968 . Queensland, Ormiston , 1 female in water trap, 20.iv.1966 .

Comments. This species was described originally from Brooklyn, New South Wales, very close to the Maroota site listed above, and it is here recorded from the Australian Capital Territory as well as southeastern Queensland. The species is similar to some species of Psalidothrips but has the stylets closer together medially in the head.