Teuchothrips melaleucae (Girault)

Mound, Laurence A., Dang, Lihong & Tree, Desley J., 2023, Structural diversity among the leaf-feeding thrips of Australia in the genus Teuchothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae) with 20 new species, Zootaxa 5383 (4), pp. 441-475 : 467

Teuchothrips melaleucae (Girault)

( Figs 81–83 )

Liothrips melaleucae Girault, 1926: 1 .

The original description comprises only these words: “Spur present; thoracic bristles unequal, mainly an unequal pair caudal corner. 7 accessory fringes each margin. Male, female ex galled leaves Melaleuca leucodendron , Brisbane”. The type slide (image in Mound 2008) has no further data, and includes 16 specimens under three broken cover slips. However, nine of these specimens are micropterae and apparently represent minor , with the remaining six female and one male macropterae considered syntypes of melaleucae . This species is otherwise known only from the four specimens listed below. Of these four, two females have three sense cones on antennal segment IV ( Fig. 82 ), one male has two sense cones, and one male has the left antenna with two sense cones but the right antenna with three. The syntypes are damaged and difficult to study, but one of them has two sense cones on antennal segment IV. The maxillary stylets are wide apart and low in the head, the pronotal anteromarginal setae well-developed, but the fore tarsal tooth small to minute ( Fig. 83 ).

Specimens studied. Queensland, Syntypes on slide labelled “male female Types” but with no further data, in QM Brisbane. Queensland, Mt Glorious , 2 females, 2 males from leaf rolls on Callistemon saligna , 9.vii.2002, in ANIC.

Figures

FIGURES 76–87. Teuchothrips of Australia. T. mareeba 76–80: (76) head & pronotum; (77) metanotum & pelta; (78) prosternites; (79) tergites IX–X; (80) fore wing sub-basal setae. T. melaleucae 81–83: (81) metanotum & pelta; (82) antenna; (83) head & pronotum. T. minor 84–87: (84) head & pronotum; (85) metanotum & pelta; (86) antenna; (87) fore wing sub-basal setae.