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 1972 a), 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.