Kellyia tenuis (Hood) Mound & Dang & Tree, 2023

Mound, Laurence A., Dang, Lihong & Tree, Desley J., 2023, The genus Liothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripidae) in Australia, Zootaxa 5306 (2), pp. 201-214 : 212

Kellyia tenuis (Hood) comb.n.

( Figs 41–46 )

Liothrips tenuis Hood, 1918: 133

This species remains known only from the holotype female (in U.S. National Museum of Natural History, Washington). This was taken by “sweeping in jungle at Nelson” in northern Queensland in 1914 ( Fig. 46 ). At that time, this was a sugar-cane town that was renamed as Gordonvale in 1914 and since 1995 has become a southern district of the city of Cairns. The bold reticulate sculpture of the metanotum ( Fig. 44 ) and the long head with long stylets very close together ( Fig. 41 ), indicate that it is not a species of Liothrips , although it shares the typical character states of other members of the Liothrips -lineage including the antennal sense cone formula and absence of prosternal basantra. In view of the head, metanotum, and broadly transverse mesopresternum this species is here referred to the genus Kellyia . However, in contrast to the 13 described species in that genus antennal segment III is less elongate ( Fig. 43 ), and the notopleural sutures on the pronotum are incomplete ( Fig. 42 ). There are many specimens of Kellyia in ANIC at Canberra, but these remain unidentified due to complexities in variation within and between samples. Members of this genus live as opportunist invaders of abandoned galls and thrips domiciles on Acacia species ( Crespi et al. 2004).

Figures

FIGURES 41–46. Holotype of Liothrips tenuis Hood. (41) head; (42) pronotum; (43) antenna; (44) metanotum & pelta; (45) tergites IX–X; (46) female [prepared from stack of images taken by Elison Lima, Federal University of Piauí, Brazil]