Stephanothrips Trybom

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 : 218

Stephanothrips Trybom

No identification keys exist to the 29 described species of this genus ( Fig. 40 ). These have been described from many parts of the tropics and subtropics, living either in leaf-litter or on dead twigs. Three species are recorded from Australia ( Mound 1972a), of which S. barretti and S. ferrari are endemics, but S. occidentalis is found worldwide. At least one further undescribed species is represented in ANIC.

Diagnosis. Body tuberculate-reticulate, usually wingless; head longer than wide, with 1–3 pairs of prominent setae on anterior margin; postocular setae reduced; mouth-cone short and rounded, stylets retracted to eyes, close together medially; antennae 5- or 6-segmented, morphological segments III–V fused, sometimes also VII and VIII; pronotum with only epimeral setae developed; notopleural sutures reduced; basantra present; mesopraesternum reduced; no sternopleural sutures; fore tarsal tooth absent; abdominal tergite I transverse and closely joined to II; tergites without wing retaining setae; tergite IX longer than broad; tube long and slender, longer than head, anal setae long, about twice as long as tube; male sternite VIII without pore plate.

Figures

FIGURES 39 – 45. Phlaeothripinae genera. (39) Stomothrips mouldeni; (40) Stephanothrips occidentalis; (41) Strepterothrips orientalis, male; (42) Plectrothrips australis, pelta & tergite II; (43) Stomothrips mouldeni, thoracic sternites; (44) Yarnkothrips kolourus; (45) Terthrothrips ananthakrishnani.