Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Female aptera. Body and legs yellow, antennal segment VI shaded with brown. Antennae 6-segmented, VI twice as long as V, III–IV each with simple sensorium. Head longer than wide, without ocelli, without long setae. Pronotum weakly trapezoidal, without long setae. Meso and metanota transverse. Prosternal basantra with no setae; ferna almost continuous medially; meso and metafurca without spinula. Tarsi each 1-segmented. Tergites with number of discal setae variable 2–20; tergite IX posteromedian pair of setae short, about 0.2 times as long as lateral pair; tergites and sternites without craspedum; sternites with many discal setae.

Male aptera. Similar to female but smaller; sternites without pore plates; tergite IX with 2 pairs of stout thorn-like setae.

Related and similar species

Five species are recognised in the European genus Aptinothrips. One of these, A. stylifer, is introduced to New Zealand, and is distingished by the 8-segmented antennae.

Distribution data

General distribution

Widespread in temperate climates, including montane areas of tropical countries.

Australian distribution

Widespread across southern States, including southern New South Wales.

Biological data

Life history

Feeding and breeding on leaves.

Host plants

Grasses, but apparently not Australian native Poaceae.

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Aptinothrips rufus (Haliday)

Original name and synonyms

• Thrips (Aptinothrips) rufus Haliday, 1836: 445
• Thrips (Aptinothrips) nitidulus Haliday, 1836: 446
• Aptinothrips connaticornis Uzel, 1895: 153
• Uzeliella lubbocki Bagnall, 1908: 5
• Aptinothrips intermedius Priesner, 1920: 52
• Aptinothrips groenlandica Richter, 1928: 850

References

Palmer JM. 1975. The grass-living genus Aptinothrips Haliday (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). Journal of Entomology (B) 44: 175-188.