Apostlethrips Mound

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 : 206

Apostlethrips Mound

Known only from Australia, this genus comprises only two species, A. apostus and A. pygus ( Figs 4, 5 ). Both of these were collected in northwest Australia from the base of Triodia grasses.

Diagnosis. Head longer than wide, prolonged in front of large eyes, cheeks constricted behind eyes, vertex with almost no sculpture; ocellar and postocular setae stout, weakly capitate; maxillary stylets wide apart, low in head; antennae 8-segmented, III with no sensorium, IV with 2 sensoria, VI–VIII distinct but broadly connected; pronotum without sculpture, only 2 pairs of major setae, notopleural sutures incomplete; basantra large, with 3–5 pairs of setae; mesopraesternum slender and transverse; no sternopleural sutures; fore tarsi with or without small curved tooth in both sexes; usually micropterous, fore wing when present without duplicated cilia; pelta triangular, without sculpture; tergites II–VII with one or two pairs of stout weakly capitate marginal setae but no wingretaining setae; tube slightly shorter than head, anal setae shorter than width of tube apex; male sternite VIII without pore plate.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 7. Phlaeothripinae genera. (1) Adraneothrips sp.; (2) Adurothrips atopus; (3) Apelaunothrips tasmani; (4) Apostlethrips pygus; (5) Apostlethrips apostus; (6) Asemothrips picturatus; (7) Azaleothrips lepidus, metanotum.