Studies on the genus Lefroyothrips, with new records from Malaysia, New Caledonia and a new species from Australia (Thysanoptera, Thripidae)

Abstract

Six species are recognised in the genus Lefroyothrips, including one new species from Australia. The metascutal chaetotaxy of two of these species is unique amongst Thripidae. New distribution records given here indicate that four of the species are widely distributed: L. pictus across tropical Africa, L. lefroyi from northern India to Taiwan, L. fasciatus from Malaysia to northern Australia and New Guinea, and L. varatharajani from southern India to New Caledonia and northern Australia. An illustrated key is provided to the six known species in this genus.

Antennal sense cone variation in Teuchothrips species of New Caledonia, with one new generic combination (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae)

“…Insects of the Order Thysanoptera are essentially plant dependent, either on living or decaying plants, hence there is an expectation that a considerable proportion of these insects is likely also to be endemic. Unfortunately, there have been no serious field surveys of the thrips of this island, but the most recent checklist included 68 species in 44 genera (Bournier & Mound 2000), with eight further species subsequently recorded (Mound & Masumoto 2005;Goldarazena et al 2021;Mound & Ng 2021;Goldarazena & Michel 2022). Of these 76 recorded species, only 19 are considered endemic, and there are likely to be more species yet to be discovered in view of the restricted distributions recorded for other micro-organisms in New Caledonia (Caesar et al 2017).…”