Australian species of spore-feeding Thysanoptera in the genera Carientothrips and Nesothrips (Thysanoptera: Idolothripinae) Author Eow, Li-Xin Earth, Environmental & Biological Sciences School, Science & Engineering Faculty, Queensland University of Technology, GPO Box 2434, Brisbane, QLD 4001, Australia. E-mail: eowlixin @ gmail. com, sl. cameron @ qut. edu. au & CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, PO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601. E-mail: laurence. mound @ csiro. au & Queensland Primary Industries Insect Collection (QDPC), GPO Box 267, Brisbane, Qld, 4001. E-mail: desley. tree @ daff. qld. gov. au text Zootaxa 2014 2014-06-20 3821 2 193 221 journal article 5348 10.11646/zootaxa.3821.2.2 e03ba3fc-13a1-4096-b515-a772de4ec84e 1175-5326 4919972 C93F0714-35E6-46BE-8754-D5B17C4F7FF5 Nesothrips rossi sp.n. ( Figs 55 , 63 ) Female macroptera . Body uniformly brown with tube paler at apex, femora paler toward apex, tarsi brownish yellow; antennal segment I and base of II concolourous with head, III yellow, IV–V yellow with apex weakly shaded, VI with yellow pedicel, VII–VIII brown; major setae brown; fore wings pale. Head wider than long, not projecting in front of eyes, cheeks convex, vertex weakly reticulate ( Fig. 55 ); postocellar setae small and acute posterior to inner margin of posterior ocelli; postocular setae long, acute; compound eyes equal in size dorsally and ventrally; maxillary stylets wide V-shaped, not retracted as deeply as postocular setae; maxillary palp segment I about as long as wide, segment II about 2 times as long as I, without transverse lines, terminal sensorium setaceous. Antennal segment VIII not constricted at base. Pronotum transverse, weakly reticulate near margins, notopleural sutures complete ( Fig. 55 ); with 5 pairs of major setae, most blunt but am acute; mesopresternum transverse, boat-shaped; metathoracic sternopleural sutures short. Metanotum without sculpture anteromedially but with longitudinal reticulation on posterior half; median setae long. Fore wing with about 16 duplicated cilia, sub-basal setae long and acute. Pelta with broadly rounded median lobe and short lateral wings curving away from anterior margin of tergite II, extending about 70% across anterior border of tergite ( Fig. 63 ); tergites III–VII each with pair of sigmoid wingretaining setae; tergite IX setae S1 and S2 blunt, shorter than tube, S3 finely acute and almost as long as tube; tube shorter than head. Measurements ( holotype female in microns). Body length 2500. Head, length 240; width 250; postocellar setae 30; po setae 100. Pronotum, length 130; width 280; major setae am 35, aa 30, ml 40, epim 105, pa 50. Fore wing, length 1000; sub-basal setae 30, 75, 130. Tergite IX setae S1 115, S2 155, S3 190. Tube length 215. Antennal segments III–VIII length 80, 80, 70, 65, 45, 30. Male macroptera . Similar to female except fore femora enlarged, fore tarsi with stout tooth; pronotum with strong median longitudinal apodeme; tergite IX setae S3 as long as tube. Specimens studied. Holotype female. Australia , Queensland , Townsville , Aitkenvale , Ross River , from dead leaf of Melaleuca leucadendra , 17.viii.1993 ( L.M.Brown ). Paratypes : 1 female , 1 male taken with holotype . Comments. This species is similar in general appearance to several other short-headed members of this genus, but is distinguished particularly by the linear sculpture on the posterior half of the metanotum ( Fig. 63 ).