Psalidothrips Priesner

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 : 216-217

Psalidothrips Priesner

Of the 28 species listed in this genus, only P. t a y l o r i is recorded from Australia. However, various undescribed species of Psalidothrips are common in leaf-litter across Australia, and these are represented in ANIC ( Figs 34, 35 ). Okajima (1983) provided a review of the genus with a key to the 17 species then known from around the world. These thrips are particularly flattened dorso-ventrally, but otherwise the genus seems likely to be related to Hoplandrothrips .

Diagnosis. Body commonly strongly flattened, dorso-ventrally; head usually a little longer than width; postocular setae developed, wide apart, situated near cheeks, cheeks usually incut just behind eyes; stylets usually short, V- or U-shaped; antennae 8-segmented, VIII usually constricted basally, III with 2 or 3 sensoria, IV with 2– 4; pronotum usually with 3 major setae, anteromarginal and anteroangular setae reduced; notopleural sutures complete; basantra absent; mesopraesternum transverse; sternopleural sutures present; fore tarsal tooth present in male, usually absent in female; fore wings, if developed, weakly constricted medially, without duplicated cilia, subbasal setae minute; pelta hat- or bell-shaped; tergites II–VII each with 2 pairs of wing retaining setae in macroptera; tube shorter than head, anal setae about as long as tube; male sternite VIII with 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.