Endemics and adventives: Thysanoptera (Insecta) biodiversity of Norfolk, a tiny Pacific Island
Author
Mound, Laurence A.
Author
Wells, Alice
text
Zootaxa
2015
3964
2
183
210
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.3964.2.2
b334f640-11eb-4db6-afe0-25e7cf6e69d9
1175-5326
242482
DE38A5A7-32BF-44BD-A450-83EE872AE934
THRIPIDAE
Most pest species of thrips are members of the
Thripidae
, but despite extensive searching of a wide range of flowers and leaves, including mature plants and seedlings, surprisingly few members of this family have been found on
Norfolk Island
. Only two endemic species of
Thripidae
have been found, and there is little evidence of any relationship to the Australian fauna of this family.
Pseudanaphothrips
and
Scirtothrips
both include many species in
Australia
, but no species of the first of these genera has been found on
Norfolk Island
, although one new species in the second genus is described below living only on the young leaves of
Norfolk Island
Pine trees. Similarly, among the many native Australian species in the genera
Anaphothrips
and
Thrips
, only one of each has been seen from the island. This is a particularly surprising situation, because the thrips fauna of Lord Howe Island has many Australian thripid elements (
Mound 1999
). Of the two endemic
Thripidae
on
Norfolk Island
, both of which are described below,
Scirtothrips araucariae
is possibly related to species from
Australia
, but
Thrips
merae
is a member of a species-group that is native to
New Zealand
. The most abundant flower thrips on
Norfolk Island
,
Thrips
novocaledonensis
, is possibly native, and is known otherwise only from
New Caledonia
and
Vanuatu
. The other recorded
Thripidae
all appear to be tramp species.
Four subfamilies are recognised in the family
Thripidae
, but no species of
Sericothripinae
has been found on
Norfolk Island
. The recorded genera and species are listed below alphabetically under the other three recognised subfamilies—Dendrothripinae, Panchaetothripinae, and Thripinae.