Pygmaeothrips Karny

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 : 217

Pygmaeothrips Karny

The only species in this genus, P. angusticeps , has been found widely in tropical countries, and as a result of the polymorphism it exhibits it has been described under several different names. A few specimens have been seen from dead wood at several sites across northern Australia ( Fig. 38 ).

Diagnosis. Head longer than wide, postocular setae long, capitate; mouth-cone extending to ferna; stylets retracted to eyes, close together medially; antennae 8-segmented, III and IV each with 3 stout sensoria; pronotum with 5 slender capitate setae; notopleural sutures complete; basantra absent; mesopraesternum eroded medially, or separated into 2 lateral triangles; no sternopleural sutures; fore tarsal tooth absent; fore wings, if present, weakly constricted medially, with duplicated cilia; pelta D-shaped; tergites II–VI each with 2 pairs of wing retaining setae in macroptera, tergite IX postermaginal setae usually longer than tube; tube shorter than head, anal setae about as long as tube; male sternite VIII without pore plate.

Figures

FIGURES 32 – 38. Phlaeothripinae genera. (32) Octurothrips pulcher, tergites IX – X; (33) Solomonthrips australiensis, tergites VII – IX; (34) Psalidothrips taylori, thoracic sternites—arrows indicate sterno-pleural sutures; (35) Psalidothrips sp., male; (36) Sophiothrips sp.; (37) Senithrips psomus, macroptera thoracic sternites; (38) Pygmaeothrips angusticeps, female microptera.