Ensiferothrips lamingtoni sp.n.

Female macroptera: Body and legs brown, tarsi yellow; antennal segments I–II brown, III weakly shaded, IV–IX brownish yellow; fore wing pale at base with two transverse dark bands, clavus pale with dark base.

Head reticulate, reticles of ocellar triangle with internal markings (Fig. 21), ocellar setae pair III arising on margins of triangle; frons with 2 pairs of stout setae near bases of antennae; maxillary palps small, 2-segmented. Antennae 9-segmented (Fig. 23), VI with complete division and long sense cone arising on basal third; sense cones on III and IV with arms transverse. Pronotum reticulate, reticles with internal markings except for paired groups of darker foveae (Fig. 21); posterior margin with 4 pairs of setae, outer pair IV longest. Mesonotal setae all small, metanotal median setae small and distant from anterior margin (Fig. 22), reticles elongate with internal markings. Fore wing first vein with 7–10 widely spaced setae, second vein with 2 setae, clavus with 2 veinal and one discal setae; anteromarginal cilia arising ventrally just behind anterior margin, costal setae finely pointed. Tergites with lateral thirds closely striate (Fig. 24), VIII with long marginal comb; IX and X with band of discal microtrichia on posterior third. Sternites transversely reticulate, III–VII with 3 pairs of marginal setae, II with 2 pairs.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 1100. Head, length 60; width across eyes 150; ocellar setae pair III 30. Pronotum, length 100; width 180; posteromarginal setae I–IV 25, 15, 35, 50. Fore wing length 800; apical seta length 75. Antennal segments III–IX length 30, 28, 28, 30, 8, 5, 12.

Male: Not known.

Material studied: Holotype female, Australia, Queensland, O’Reillys, Lamington N.P., from leaves of Quintinia sieberi [ Paracryphiaceae], 10.x.2006 (LAM 4941), in ANIC.

Paratypes: 8 females taken with holotype; 4 females same data except 9.x.2006; same locality: 2 females from Pentaceras australis flowers [ Rutaceae], 10.x.2006, 2 females from tree lvs, 9.x.2006, 1 female from Homalanthus nutans [ Euphorbiaceae], 10.x.2006, 2 females from yellow pan trap, x.2006.

Comments. The sculpture of the tergites and the chaetotaxy of the fore wing resembles that of Leucothrips species, but the pronotum lacks a median transverse groove. There is thus a gradient in body form from lamingtoni to the extremes of primus and wallacei, with secundus exhibiting intermediate conditions. The latter species remains known only from Lord Howe Island where it lives on Trophis scandens [ Moraceae].