Species diversity among Thysanoptera—Phlaeothripinae in phyllode galls on Acacia fasciculifera (Fabaceae), including one new species

Abstract

Four morphologically diverse phlaeothripine species from three genera have been collected from several Acacia fasciculifera (Fabaceae) trees in southeast Queensland. These species were found within galls of two very different forms—pea-pod shaped galls or twisted/dimply galls. Teuchothrips toowoomba is the main gall inducer of the pea-pod shaped galls and T. jarowair is the inducer of twisted/dimply galls. Paracholeothrips phillipsi was found in small numbers mostly associated with the pea-pod shaped galls. Xaniothrips sueae sp.nov. is described as probably a kleptoparasite of pea-pod shaped galls. The roles of these four species are discussed and interpreted, but further field studies are needed to understand their roles more clearly.