Teuchothrips minor Bagnall, 1929

Mound, Laurence A., Dang, Lihong & Tree, Desley J., 2023, Structural diversity among the leaf-feeding thrips of Australia in the genus Teuchothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae) with 20 new species, Zootaxa 5383 (4), pp. 441-475 : 467

Teuchothrips minor Bagnall

( Figs 84–87 )

Teuchothrips minor Bagnall, 1929: 193 .

The original description was based on both sexes taken in New South Wales “in spirally curled leaf galls on Melaleuca sp. ”. However, Mound (2008) pointed out that this plant was probably misidentified, as minor has been found widespread between Canberra and Brisbane inducing rolled leaves on Callistemon saligna . This is one of the species with only two sense cones on antennal segment IV. It has the setae on tergite IX unusually small, and has the postocular setae variable and sometimes scarcely larger than the minor setae on the head ( Fig. 84 ). Antennal segments III–VI are largely yellow ( Fig. 86 ), and larger individuals of both sexes have a small tubercle at the inner apex of the fore tibia.

Specimens studied in ANIC: Syntypes female and male, New South Wales, Port Macquarie, 3.ii.1900. Australian Capital Territory, Black Mt., both sexes macropterae and micropterae from Callistemon saligna rolled leaves, 12.x.2004; O’Connor, both sexes macropterae and micropterae in curled leaves of Myoporum , 8.xii.1989. New South Wales, Sydney, Boxhill, 1 female from C. saligna , 1997; Lismore, 20km north, both sexes macropterae and micropterae from C. saligna , 18.vii.1997. Queensland, Brisbane, both sexes macropterae and micropterae from C. saligna galls at Mt Nebo, 11.vii.2002, and at Mt Glorious, 9.vii.2002.

Specimens studied in QDPC: Queensland, Dalveen , one female from green wattle, 11.xi.2009 ; Australian Capital Territory, Canberra , from Melaleuca ? in a garden, 20.ii.2012 ;

Figures

FIGURES 76–87. Teuchothrips of Australia. T. mareeba 76–80: (76) head & pronotum; (77) metanotum & pelta; (78) prosternites; (79) tergites IX–X; (80) fore wing sub-basal setae. T. melaleucae 81–83: (81) metanotum & pelta; (82) antenna; (83) head & pronotum. T. minor 84–87: (84) head & pronotum; (85) metanotum & pelta; (86) antenna; (87) fore wing sub-basal setae.