Azaleothrips Ananthakrishnan

Mound, Laurence A., Dang, Li-Hong & Tree, Desley J., 2013, Genera of fungivorous Phlaeothripinae (Thysanoptera) from dead branches and leaf-litter in Australia, Zootaxa 3681 (3), pp. 201-224 : 207

Azaleothrips Ananthakrishnan

Ten species, between India and Japan, are currently placed in this genus, but no species has previously been recorded or described from Australia. However, one female of A. lepidus Okajima , a species known only from Thailand, has been studied ( Figs 7 , 49 ) from Cobourg Peninsula, Northern Territory (Mound & Dang, in press). Moreover, in ANIC there are two females of an undescribed species from the Coorong of South Australia.

Diagnosis. Body with complex reticulation; head about as long as wide; postocular setae short, capitate, behind inner margins of eyes or absent; stylets long, retracted to eyes, close together medially; antennae 8- segmented, VIII more or less fused to VII; segment III with 3 sensoria, IV with 4; pronotum with 5 pairs of capitate setae, notopleural sutures complete; basantra absent; mesopraesternum transverse, slender; sternopleural sutures long; female with small fore tarsal tooth; fore wings weakly constricted medially, with duplicated cilia; pelta broadly bell-shaped; tergites II–VII each with 2 pairs of wing-retaining setae, each posterior pair larger than anterior pair, tergal major setae broadly capitate; tube shorter than head, anal setae as long as tube; male sternite VIII with a large pore plate.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Phlaeothripinae genera. (1) Adraneothrips sp.; (2) Adurothrips atopus; (3) Apelaunothrips tasmani; (4) Apostlethrips pygus; (5) Apostlethrips apostus; (6) Asemothrips picturatus; (7) Azaleothrips lepidus, metanotum.

FIGURES 46 – 49. Phlaeothripinae genera. (46) Tylothrips sp. — arrows indicate metathoracic ventro-lateral setae; (47) Zemiathrips trisetis; (48) Hoplandrothrips flavipes, male; (49) Azaleothrips lepidus.