Genera of fungivorous Phlaeothripinae (Thysanoptera) from dead branches and leaf-litter in Australia
Author
Mound, Laurence A.
Author
Dang, Li-Hong
Author
Tree, Desley J.
text
Zootaxa
2013
3681
3
201
224
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.3681.3.1
caf9f3a0-f5e2-400d-b023-1ec9607edf1d
1175-5326
247292
0473676C-4B88-4919-A5AD-F5612F08FBBE
Preeriella
Hood
The 20 species listed in this genus come from various tropical countries (
Fig. 12
). No species are recorded from
Australia
, but in ANIC there are unidentified specimens from various rainforest sites in Queensland. These are minute insects that are laterally flattened, not dorso-ventrally flattened as in most
Thysanoptera
. Although commonly associated with dead branches and leaf-litter, these thrips might be predatory on other small arthropods, because one species has been found commonly on the leaves of
Lantana
in southern Queensland in association with mites. Specimens that probably represent the related genus,
Hyidiothrips
, have also been seen from Queensland, but members of that genus have antennal segment III completely fused to segment IV (
Okajima 2006
).
Diagnosis.
Minute, usually apterous species; head longer than wide, elevated in mid-line, prolonged in front of eyes; postocular setae usually well developed and expanded at apex; stylets usually subparallel; antennae 8- segmented, II with campaniform sensilla at the middle, III short and broad, closely joined to IV, with no sensoria; IV large, with 2 sensoria; pronotum usually with 4 major setae, midlaterals sometimes reduced, notopleural sutures incomplete; basantra weakly present; mesopraesternum reduced; no sternopleural sutures; fore tarsal tooth absent; fore wings, if developed, without duplicated cilia; pelta divided into several plates; tergites III–VII each with one pair of wing retaining setae in macroptera; tube shorter than head, anal setae usually much longer than tube; male sternite VIII without pore plate.