Hoplothrips melanurus Bagnall

Hoplothrips melanurus (Bagnall)

(Figs 18, 50, 62, 66)

Trichothrips melanurus Bagnall, 1919: 276.

Female microptera. Body and femora brown, with tibiae, tarsi, and base of antennal segments III–V yellow; tube darkest. Head reticulate except in midline; genae convex, sharply constricted in front of posterior margin, with pair of stout setae; postocular setae pointed. Antennal segment III usually with 2 sense cones (sometimes 3), IV with 4 sense cones, VIII weakly constricted at base. Pronotum with am and ml setae very small, epim and pa long (Fig. 18). Metanotum reticulate, major setal pair wide apart, with a scattering of 4–12 small setae (Fig. 50). Fore wing lobe minute, sometimes scarcely 25 microns long. Tergites with wing-retaining setae small and straight; tergite IX major setae blunt and shorter than tube.

Male microptera. Similar to female, smaller but more robust, fore tarsal tooth massive; genae with prominent setae; prosternal ferna median margins parallel; mesopresternum represented by 3 sclerites, mesoeusternal anterior margin narrow. Metanotum reticulate posterior to a transverse concave ridge. Tergite IX setae S2 short and stout. Sternites II–VI with large areas laterally of specialized sculpture (Fig. 66); transverse pore plate extends across three-quarters of sternite VIII (Fig. 62).

Female macroptera. Similar to microptera, eyes large, ocelli present; mesopresternum slender but complete; metanotum with 4–6 minor setae; tergites II–VII each with two pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae.

Specimens studied. New South Wales, Royal NP, Werrong Beach, 3 females, 3 males from barkspray, 19.iv.2011; Galston Gorge, near Sydney, 2 female, 1 mal from dead Eucalyptus, 23.viii.1959. Queensland, Lamington NP, O’Reilly’s, 3 female micropterae by bark spraying, 1 female from dead twigs, 13.iii.2007; same locality, in malaise trap, 1 male, iii.2007, 1 female macroptera, xi.2007. Brisbane, Cameron’s Scrub, 3 females, 1 male from barkspray, 30.iv.2012; Brisbane, Sawpit Gulley Road, 1 female from barkspray, 8.iii.2015; Brisbane, Mt Mee, 2 female macropterae, 1 male from barkspray, 30.x.2010. Carnarvon Station, 1 female, 1 male from barkspray, 9.x.2014. (Micropterae except where indicated).

Comments. Described from a single female taken at Fern Tree Gulley, Victoria, this species has been found widely in eastern Australia. The males are particularly distinctive amongst Hoplothrips species for the many minor setae on the metanotum and the large specialised reticulate areas laterally on the sternites. The only described species known to share these character states is H. anobii Mound & Walker from New Zealand, but that has antennal segments IV–V uniformly dark brown not yellow at base, segment VIII strongly narrowed to a basal pedicel, and the pronotal ml setae very long, longer than the pa setae. The female macropterae of melanurus are similar to those of other members of the H. fungi complex, but have the pronotal ml setae exceptionally small.