Desley J. Tree

Diversity and abundance of fungivorous thrips (Thysanoptera) associated with leaf-litter and bark across forest types and two tree genera in subtropical Australia

Leaf-litter thrips were much more common and diverse in dry sclerophyll forest than in wetter forest types in subtropical southeast Queensland, Australia. In dry sclerophyll forest, the species composition of thrips in leaf-litter was strongly differentiated from the thrips fauna associated with bark of the trees Eucalyptus major and Acacia melanoxylon (4 of 34 species in common). The species composition of bark-dwelling thrips was similar across the two tree species and also across two eucalypts with different bark types, Eucalyptus major (flaky) and Eucalyptus siderophloia (rough). The diversity of thrips from the leaf-litter was not differentiated across all of these tree species. Virtually all thrips collected were Phlaeothripidae, subfamilies Idolothripinae and Phlaeothripinae. Idolothripinae were associated almost exclusively with leaf-litter, but Phlaeothripinae were in leaf-litter and bark. The association of fungal-feeding thrips with dry sclerophyll forest raises questions about their ecological requirements and the role they play in nutrient cycling.

Fungal spore-feeding by adult and larval Mecynothrips hardyi (Priesner) (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae: Idolothripinae)

Mecynothrips hardyi (Priesner), a member of the phlaeothripid subfamily Idolothripinae, is demonstrated to feed on whole fungal spores on hanging dead leaves and branches of Acacia harpophylla (brigalow). The diet primarily comprises spores of a recently described species of Dothiorella (Botryosphaeriaceae). The 14μm-wide food canal enclosed by the maxillary stylets is evidently adapted to imbibe whole spores, and the foregut includes a sclerotized proventriculus with internal ridges that presumably aids in the abrasion and thus digestion of the thick-walled spores.

Intrapopulation variation in an Australian population of the North American thrips, Bagnalliella yuccae (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae), a new record from Australia.

ABSTRACT The genus Bagnalliella Karny is an endemic North American genus of Phlaeothripidae with 7 species associated with the New World plant genus Yucca; 2 Old World species currently placed in the genus are probably not congeneric. The number of sensoria on antennal segments III and IV has been used to distinguish the Bagnalliella species on Yucca, but an invasive population of Bagnalliella yuccae (Hinds) is reported here from Australia, at Brisbane, Queensland, in which the number of sensoria varied between individuals and even between left and right antennae of single individuals. These observations cast considerable doubt on the validity of some of the North American species of Bagnalliella. The Australian population was damaging young leaves of Yucca elephantipes, and indicates the ease with which thrips can be distributed by the horticultural trade.

The minute, fungus-feeding species of Sophiothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae) from Australia and New Zealand

Five new species of Sophiothrips are described from mainland Australia, of which one is widespread in the eastern part of the continent, with a second widespread across the northern tropical zone. These species appear to be members of the breviceps species-group from the Old World tropics. One of these five is particularly unusual within the genus in that the maxillary stylets are retracted into the head anterior to the postoccipital ridge. A sixth new species is described from Australia that is known only from Norfolk Island, but this is closely related to two species that are endemic to New Zealand. A key is provided to the nine species recognised.

Genera of the leaf-feeding Dendrothripinae of the world (Thysanoptera, Thripidae), with new species from Australia and Sulawesi, Indonesia

Character states used in distinguishing taxa within the Thripidae subfamily Dendrothripinae are discussed, and a key presented to the 11 genera recognized worldwide. Comments on each of these genera are provided, together with keys to the species from Australia of Dendrothrips, Ensiferothrips and Pseudodendrothrips. From Australia are described, four new species of Dendrothrips, one of Pseudodendrothrips, and a remarkable new species of Ensiferothrips that has required a re-diagnosis of that genus. Another new species of Ensiferothrips is described from Sulawesi, thus greatly extending the known geographical range of this previously Australian genus.

Species of Lissothrips and Williamsiella from mosses and lichens in Australia and New Zealand (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae).

Species of Lissothrips and Williamsiella live in association with mosses and lichens. Their gut contents are commonly blue-green, suggesting that they possibly feed on blue-green algae. Three species of Lissothrips are known from New Zealand, of which two are here recorded from Australia together with six new species. Williamsiella is recorded from Australia for the first time, with one new species.

Host specificity studies on Gynaikothrips (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) associated with leaf galls of cultivated Ficus (Rosales: Moraceae) trees

Abstract Host specificity tests on Gynaikothrips ficorum (Marchal) and Gynaikothrips uzeli (Zimmerman) (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) have shown that under experimental conditions, G. ficorum will induce leaf galls on both Ficus benjamina L. and Ficus microcarpa L. f. (Rosales: Moraceae), but G. uzeli will induce galls only on F. benjamina. A further interesting aspect of the results is that gall induction by G. uzeli on F. benjamina appears to have been suppressed in the presence of F. microcarpa plants in the same cage. Liothrips takahashii (Moulton) (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae), an inquiline in the galls of these Gynaikothrips, is reported for the first time from Australia, mainland China, Malaysia, Costa Rica, and western USA.

Fungus-feeding thrips of the genus Stephanothrips in Australia (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae)

Five species of Stephanothrips are now recorded from Australia, of which one is found worldwide, four are endemic, and two are described here as new species. S. broomei is remarkable for its colour pattern, and S. howei is only the fourth member of the genus to have a prominent hamus on the external margin of the fore tarsus. An illustrated key is provided to distinguish these five species.

Two new Australian fungus-feeding thrips in two new Plectrothripini genera (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae)

Two new genera are erected of plectrothripine Phlaeothripidae from northern Australia, each based on a single species. One has a long stout projection ventrally on the second antennal segment, the other has a unique arrangement of the dorsal facets of the compound eyes. In both of them the thoracic ventral sclerites are extensively eroded.

Australian mycophagous species of the genus Deplorothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae)

The genus Deplorothrips Mound & Walker is recorded from Australia for the first time. The genus is found widely across the continent, and descriptions and an illustrated identification key are provided to 14 new species. These have been found living on dead twigs and branches, particularly of Eucalyptus trees. Typical members of this genus have short maxillary stylets that are scarcely retracted into the head capsule, but some of the species have more deeply retracted stylets. Structural polymorphism is recorded in several species, associated both with sex and with body size. Remarkable variation is recorded for some species in the number of sense cones on the antennal segments.