Stephanothrips occidentalis Hood & Williams

Mound, Laurence A. & Tree, Desley J., 2018, Fungus-feeding thrips of the genus Stephanothrips in Australia (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae), Zootaxa 4442 (1), pp. 181-186 : 186

Stephanothrips occidentalis Hood & Williams

( Figs 1 , 15 )

Described originally from the Caribbean island of St Croix ( Hood & Williams 1925: 69), this species is widespread in tropical and subtropical countries around the world, although males have been reported only from southern Thailand ( Okajima & Urushihara 1995). In Australia it has been taken no further south than the border between New South Wales and Queensland, but is common in northern Queensland rainforest areas, as well as in the Torres Strait Islands. It has been taken around Darwin and the Coburg Peninsula, but although it is common on Norfolk Island it has not been found on Lord Howe Island. In contrast to other members of the genus, it shares with howei described above, and also with thai Okajima & Urushihara from northern Thailand, and zonatus Okajima from Bali, the presence of a prominent hamus on the external margin of the fore tarsi. However, the fore femora are brown, each compound eye consists of just three large facets, and tergites I and II are fully fused together ( Fig. 15 ).

Figures

FIGURES 1–10. Stephanothrips from Australia. Head & pronotum 1–5: (1) occidentalis; (2) broomei; (3) howei; (4) ferrari; (5) barretti. Antenna 6–8: (6) barretti; (7) broomei; (8) howei. Prosternites 9–10: (9) barretti; (10) howei.

FIGURES 11–15. Stephanothrips from Australia, metanotum & tergites I–II. (11) barretti; (12) broomei; (13) ferrari; (14) howei; (15) occidentalis.