Holothrips australis (Mound)

(Figs 1, 17, 19, 31)

Adelothrips australis Mound, 1974: 12.

This species seems to be restricted to southern Australia. It was based on one female macroptera taken at Canberra, together with two specimens from Bordertown, South Australia, and another from near Adelaide. It shares with eurytis sp.n. described below the curious structure of the mesoeusternum anterior margin being eroded medially, with the mesopresternum projecting posteriorly into this eroded area (Fig. 17). This occurs in both macropterae and apterae, but in macropterae the lateral margins of the mesopresternum are fused to the mesoeusternum. A similar posterior projection of the mesopresternum has not previously been reported from any species of Phlaeothripidae, although fusion of the mesopresternum and mesoeusternum is known in Asianthrips from southern Japan (see Dang et al. 2014). The male has specialised areas of reticulation laterally on sternites (V) VI–VIII, but these are variable in their extent (Fig. 31).

Material studied. Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, Black Mt., holotype female macroptera from dead branch, 2.iii.1968 (LAM 525); Oakey Hill, 2 male apterae from Eucalyptus blakeleyi dead twigs, 21.iv.2011. South Australia, 50k south of Keith, 5 female macropterae, 1 male macroptera, 2 female and 7 male apterae, from Eucalyptus dead branches, 14.iii.2011.