Tubulifera

Mound, Laurence A. & Wells, Alice, 2023, Endemism among Lord Howe IslandThysanoptera, with new species of Baenothrips (Phlaeothripidae) and Scirtothrips (Thripidae), Zootaxa 5228 (1), pp. 81-91 : 82

Suborder Tubulifera

Only a single family of extant species is recognised in this suborder the Phlaeothripidae , and 19 species of this family are listed here from Lord Howe Island. Four of these are spore-feeding members of the Idolothripinae, and although three are native to Australia, Nesothrips lativentris possibly came originally from some other Pacific territory ( Eow et al. 2014). The other 15 species are members of the Phlaeothripinae. One of these is the widespread Oriental flower-living species, Haplothrips ganglbaueri , and three ( Hoplothrips orientalis , Karnyothrips melaleucus , Macrophthalmothrips argus ) are Asian species commonly associated with dead branches ( Mound & Tree 2022). Five species, all fungus-feeding on dead branches or in leaf litter, are part of the Australian mainland fauna, and six are considered endemic to Lord Howe Island. Again, these endemics are all associated with dead plant tissues, presumably feeding on fungal hyphae. However, the habits of Haplothrips howei remain unknown: it could be leaf-feeding, fungus-feeding or even predatory. The only known radiation on the island within any of the Tubulifera genera concerns the genus Baenothrips , and this genus is discussed here in greater detail.