Thripinae, Thripidae, Terebrantia, Thysanoptera

Figures

Fig. 1: 6-segmented antenna, segments IV-VI and II-VI
Fig. 2: Head dorsal, without ocellar triangle
Fig. 3: Pronotum
Fig. 4: Fore leg
Fig. 5: Meso- and metanotum
Fig. 6: Meso- and metasternum
Fig. 7: Tergites IV and V
Fig. 8: Sternites VI and VII
Fig. 9: Tergites VII and VIII
Fig. 10: Tergites VII-XI, with ovipositor
Fig. 11: Tergites IX and X of a male, tergite IX with stout thorn-like setae

Aptinothrips rufus is a grass feeding pest. Both sexes are without wings; body color yellow, antennal segment VI shaded with brown. Antennae 6-segmented; segment VI twice as long as V, III & IV each with simple sense cone (Fig. 1). Head longer than wide; without ocelli or long setae (Fig. 2). Pronotum without long setae (Fig. 3). Meso- and metanotum transversally striate (Fig. 5); mesofurca with median spinula (Fig. 6). Mid and hind tarsi each with one segment (Fig. 4). Fore- and hind wings absent (apterous), Tergites with discal setae variable (2-20); tergite VIII without posteromarginal comb of microtrichia (Fig. 9); tergite IX posteromedian pair of setae short, about 0.2 times as long as lateral pair; tergites and sternites without craspedum (Fig. 10). Sternites with many discal setae; median posteromarginal setae on sternite VII arising in front of margin (Fig. 8).
Male similar to female but smaller; sternites without glandular areas/pore plates; tergite IX with 2 pairs of stout thorn-like setae (Fig. 11).

The genus Aptinothrips Haliday, 1836
There are only 4 species in this genus (Palmer 1975), all completely without wings and ocelli. Species of the genus have a mainly yellow body color, head longer than wide, 6- or 8-segmented antennae with simple sense cone on segments III and IV, head and thorax without long setae, mid- and hind tarsi 1- or 2-segmented, and sternites with discal setae. All of the Aptinothrips species are found living in grasses.

The long slender head, the 6-segmented antennae with its large terminal segment and simple sense cone on segments III & IV, the lack of long setae on the pronotum, and the 1-segmented tarsi, serve to distinguish this species from any other pale thrips found in grass (Mound & Marullo 1996). Aptinothrips rufus is similar to species of Anaphothrips in having no well-developed setae on head and pronotum and a yellow body color, but species of Anaphothrips have 8- or apparently 9-segmented antennae with forked sense cone on segments III & IV, 2-segmented tarsi, sternites without discal setae, and tergite VIII with a complete posteromarginal comb of microtrichia.

Life history
As with other thrips species the life cycle from egg to adult is dependent on temperature. The whole life cycle lasts about 40 days (Bailey 1948).

Host plants
Forage grasses (Cynodon dactylon - bermudagrass, Poaceae) and cereal crops (barley, wheat), also French beans.
Weeds: Launaea cornuta.

Vector capacity
None identified, but possible mechanical distribution of phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria.

Damage and symptoms
-

Detection and control strategies
-

Additional notes
Breeding on the leaves of various, but unspecified, grass species, this thrips is sometimes abundant in pastures, but there is little evidence that it damages grass crops.

Biogeography

Throughout the world in temperate climates, including mountains in some tropical countries, cosmopolitan. Algeria (Sidi Ferruch, Tipasa), Egypt (Mersa Matruh, Wadi Umm-el-Rakham), Ethiopia (Akaki River, Addis Ababa), Kenya, Morocco, Namibia (Windhoek), South Africa (Gauteng: Pretoria; Western Cape: Strand), Tunisia (Ferme Shitta - Djebel Eddyr / 1100m).

Bagnall RS (1908). Notes on some genera and species new to the British fauna. Entomologist's Monthly Magazine. 44: 3-7

Bailey SF (1948). Grain and grass-infesting thrips. Journal of Economic Entomology. 41 (5): 701-706

Haliday AH (1836). An epitome of the British genera, in the order Thysanoptera, with indications of a few of the species. The Entomological Magazine. 3 (5): 439-451

Jenser G (1982). Data to the Thysanoptera fauna of Tunisia. Folia Entomologica Hungarica. 43 (1): 55-57

Jenser G (1989). Data to the Thysanoptera fauna of Ethiopia. Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae. 35 (3-4): 205-210

Lewis T (1973). Thrips their: biology, ecology and economic importance. Academic Press Inc., London Ltd., 349 pp

Lewis T (1997). Thrips as crop pests. CAB International, Wallingford, 740 pp

Moritz G (2006). Thripse. Pflanzensaftsaugende Insekten, Bd. 1, (1. Auflage). Westarp, Hohenwarsleben, 384 pp. ISBN-13: 978 3 89432 891 7

Moritz G, Morris DC & Mound LA (2001). ThripsID - Pest thrips of the world. ACIAR and CSIRO Publishing Collingwood, Victoria, Australia, CDROM ISBN 1 86320 296 X

Moritz G, Mound LA, Morris DC & Goldarazena A (2004). Pest thrips of the world - an identification and information system using molecular and microscopical methods. Centre for Biological Information Technology, University of Queensland, Australia, CDROM ISBN 1 86499 781 8

Moritz G, O'Donnell C & Parrella M (2009). Pest thrips of North America. Centre for Biological Information Technology, University of Queensland, Australia, CDROM ISBN-13: 978 1 86499 940 2

Mound LA & Kibby G (1998). Thysanoptera: An identification guide, (2nd edition). CAB International, Wallingford and New York, 70 pp

Mound LA & Marullo R (1996). The thrips of Central and South America: An introduction (Insecta: Thysanoptera). Memoirs on Entomology, International, Vol. 6. Associated Publishers, Gainsville, 487 pp

Mound LA & Walker AK (1982). Terebrantia (Insecta: Thysanoptera). Fauna of New Zealand, No. 1. Science Information Division, DSIR Wellington, New Zealand, 113 pp

Nickle DA (2003). A checklist of commonly intercepted thrips (Thysanoptera) from Europe, the Mediterranean, and Africa at U.S. ports-of-entry (1983-1999). Part I. Key to genera. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington. 105 (1): 80-99

North RC & Shelton AM (1986). Overwintering of the onion thrips, Thrips tabaci (Thysanoptera, Thripidae), in New York. Environmental Entomology. 15 (3): 695-699

Palmer JM (1975). The grass-living genus Aptinothrips Haliday (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). Journal of Entomology, B. 44 (2): 175-188

Pelikán J (1988). Records, notes and list of Thysanoptera from Algeria. Acta Entomologica Bohemoslovaca. 85: 21-27

Priesner H (1920). Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Thysanopteren Oberösterreichs. Jahresbericht des Museum Francisco-Carolinum. 78: 50-63

Priesner H (1926-28). Die Thysanopteren Europas. F. Wagner Verlag, Wien, 755 pp

Priesner H (1938). Contributions towards a knowledge of the Thysanoptera of Egypt, XI. Bulletin de la Société Royale Entomologique d´Égypte. 21: 208-222

Priesner H (1964). A monograph of the Thysanoptera of the Egyptian deserts. Publications de ľInstitut du Desert d´Égypte (1960). 13: 1-549

Richter W (1928). Die Thysanopteren des arktischen Gebietes. Fauna Arctica. 5 (3): 837-885

Sharga US (1933). Biology and life history of Limothrips cerealium Haliday and Aptinothrips rufus Gmelin feeding on Gramineae. Annals of Applied Biology. 20: 308-326

Speyer ER (1935). The genus Aptinothrips Haliday (Thysanoptera: Terebrantia). Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London. 83 (4): 483-508

Stannard LJ (1968). The thrips, or Thysanoptera, of Illinois. Illinois Natural History Survey Bulletin. 29 (4): 214-552

Uzel H (1895). Monographie der Ordnung Thysanoptera. Uzel, Königgrätz, 473 pp

zur Strassen R (1960). Catalogue of the known species of South African Thysanoptera. Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa. 23 (2): 321-367

zur Strassen R (1968). Ökologische und zoogeographische Studien über die Fransenflügler-Fauna (Ins., Thysanoptera) des südlichen Marokko. Abhandlungen der Senkenbergischen Naturforschenden Gesellschaft. 515: 1-125

zur Strassen R (1983). Thysanopterologische Notizen (6) (Insecta: Thysanoptera). Senckenbergiana Biologica. 63 (3-4): 191-209

zur Strassen R (2003). Die terebranten Thysanopteren Europas und des Mittelmeer-Gebietes. Die Tierwelt Deutschlands und der angrenzenden Meeresteile nach ihren Merkmalen und nach ihrer Lebensweise, 74. Teil. Goecke & Evers, Keltern, Germany, 277 pp