No abstract

Published literature on thrips has been dominated by descriptive taxonomy, pest control work, and generalized synecology. The lack of studies examining the detailed biology or autecology of any species limits our understanding of how thrips live and the processes underlying their diversification. Similarly, the phylogenetic inadequacy of thrips classification limits our ability to examine the evolution of biological traits. The extent to which our knowledge of the biology of thrips has increased in recent years is reviewed, such as the behavior of particular species and their interactions with other organisms, including host plant associations, pollination, predation, and natural enemies--factors involved in driving diversification within this order of opportunistic insects.

One family, the Phlaeothripidae, is recognized in the suborder Tubulifera, whereas extant species of Terebrantia are classified into seven families : Uzelothripidae, Merothripidae, Aeolothripidae, Adiheterothripidae. Fauriellidae (stat. n.), Heterothripidae and Thripidae. A phylogenetic analysis of the relationships between these families is given, based o n consideration of 35 imaginal characters; however, the relationships of Uzelothripidae and Phlaeothripidae to the rest of the Thysanoptera remain equivocal. The Phlaeothripidae are either derived independently from Protothysanoptera, or else are the sister-group of the Thripidae, the most specialized family of Terebrantia.Diagnostic characters, diversity, distribution and relationships of each family are discussed. Keys to family and, in Fauriellidae, to genus are provided. Holarthrothnps Bagnall (= Adihetrrothrips Ramakrishna, syn. n.) and Oligothrips Moulton are removed from Heterothri idae to Adiheterothripidae and Fauriclla Hood, Opisthothrips Hood and Ropotamothrips Pefikan (= Osmanothnps Priesner, syn. n.) from Heterothripidae to Fauriellidae (stat. n.). These transfers leave Aulacothnbs Hood, Heterothrips Hood and Scutothrips Stannard as the only genera in Heterothripidae.

An updated check list of the world’s extant whitefly species is presented, comprising 1556 accepted species names in 161 genera, together with a further 210 species-group names and 40 genus-group names in synonymy. 13 nomina nuda, seven nomina dubia and six species now formally excluded from the Aleyrodidae are listed. Nomenclatural changes introduced here are 10 new generic and 10 new specific synonymies, together with 23 new combinations, seven new replacement names for junior homonyms and one revived original combination. Three subfamilial names are available in the Aleyrodidae, most species being placed in the Aleyrodinae or Aleurodicinae. The controversial third subfamily, Udamoselinae, is briefly discussed. For species currently regarded as valid, only the original and current combinations are given, with authorities. Original countries of description are given, here updated to reflect current geopolitical boundaries, but distributions and biological data are not given. An index to all names is provided.

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The Australian insect fauna is highly endemic and characterised by numerous unique higher‐level taxa. In addition, a number of groups are noticeably absent or depauperate on the continent. Many groups found in Australia show characteristic Gondwanan distribution patterns on the southern continents. There are extensive radiations on the plant families Myrtaceae and Mimosaceae, a specialised arid/semiarid fauna, and diverse taxa associated with rainforests and seasonally wet tropical regions. The fauna is also poorly studied, particularly when compared with the flora and vertebrate groups. However, studies in the last two decades have provided a more comprehensive picture of the size of the fauna, relationships, levels of endemism, origins and its evolution. Here we provide an overview of these and other aspects of Australian insect diversity, focusing on six groups, the Thysanoptera and the five megadiverse orders Hemiptera, Coleoptera, Diptera, Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera.

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The order Thysanoptera (Paraneoptera), commonly known as thrips, displays a wide range of behaviours, and includes several pest species. The classification and suggested relationships among these insects remain morphologically based, and have never been evaluated formally with a comprehensive molecular phylogenetic analysis. We tested the monophyly of the suborders, included families and the recognized subfamilies, and investigated their relationships. Phylogenies were reconstructed based upon 5299 bp from five genetic loci: 18S ribosomal DNA, 28S ribosomal DNA, Histone 3, Tubulin‐alpha I and cytochrome oxidase c subunit I. Ninety‐nine thrips species from seven of the nine families, all six subfamilies and 70 genera were sequenced. Maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses all strongly support a monophyletic Tubulifera and Terebrantia. The families Phlaeothripidae, Aeolothripidae, Melanthripidae and Thripidae are recovered as monophyletic. The relationship of Aeolothripidae and Merothripidae to the rest of Terebrantia is equivocal. Molecular data support previous suggestions that Aeolothripidae or Merothripidae could be a sister to the rest of Terebrantia. Four of the six subfamilies are recovered as monophyletic. The two largest subfamilies, Phlaeothripinae and Thripinae, are paraphyletic and require further study to understand their internal relationships.