Craspedothrips hargreavesi (Karny, 1925)

Thripinae, Thripidae, Terebrantia, Thysanoptera

Figures

Fig. 1: 8-segmented antenna, terminal segments V-VIII, segments III and IV with forked sense cone (female)
Fig. 2: 8-segmented antenna, segments IV-VI with numerous long setae (male)
Fig. 3: Head dorsal with ocellar triangle
Fig. 4: Pronotum
Fig. 5: Meso- and metanotum
Fig. 6: Meso- and metasternum
Fig. 7: Fore wing, fore wing distal region
Fig. 8: Tergites VII and VIII
Fig. 9: Sternite VII and ovipositor
Fig. 10: Tergites IX-XI

Craspedothrips hargreavesi causes damage to flowers of various plant species like beans, cotton and yam. Female macropterous; body brown; fore tibia and all tarsi yellow; antennal segment II paler at apex, III yellow, IV and V yellow at base; fore wings greyish brown with a paler area at base. Antennae 8-segmented; segments III & IV with forked sense cone, I with pair of small dorso-apical setae, VI bears the stout dagger-shaped sensorium on the external margin (Fig. 1 and 2). Head wider than long and prolonged in front of compound eyes; with 3 pairs of ocellar setae, pair III arising on tangent across the anterior margin of, or between hind ocelli (Fig. 3). Pronotum rectangular; with 2 pairs of elongate posteroangular setae (Fig. 4). Mesofurca with median spinula (Fig. 6). Metanotum median area with weakly transverse reticulations at anterior and irregular longitudinal or equiangular reticulation on posterior half; median pair of setae longer than lateral pair and arising at margin; campaniform sensilla present (Fig. 5). Mid and hind tarsi 2-segmented. Fore wing first vein with 2 or 3 setae on distal third; second vein with a complete row of 9-12 setae (Fig. 7). Tergites IV-VIII with posteromarginal complete craspedum of unbroken border or flange (Fig. 8). Sternites without discal setae but with posteromarginal craspedum of broken border by 3 pairs of posteromarginal setae; sternite VII with median pair of setae in front of posterior margin (Fig. 9).
Male rare, with greatly enlarged and heavily setose antennal segments IV-VI; sternites without glandular areas.

The genus Craspedothrips zur Strassen, 1966
8 species from the Old World tropics are listed in this genus. Members characterised by antennal segments III & IV broad and distinctly constricted distally, antennal segments V and VI have a stout dagger-shaped sensorium on the external margin, and a long mouth cone. Tergite VIII without posteromarginal comb and sternites without discal setae. A tergal and sternal craspedum as indicated by the genus name (Bhatti 1995) is not always present, and as in Trichromothrips genus-group (Masumoto & Okajima 2005) the first antennal segment bears a pair of dorso-apical setae.

Compared to Craspedothrips hargreavesi, the similar species Craspedothrips xanthocerus has an antennal segment IV that is distinctly elongated and fusiform, antennal segments III-VIII all with a light yellow color, ocellar setae I in front of anterior ocellus absent or indistinctly, metanotal median area without sculptured lines or only scarcely sculptured, the second vein of fore wing with 16-17 setae, and tergites and sternites without any craspedum. Whereas Craspedothrips hargreavesi possesses an antennal segment IV that is not distinctly elongated and fusiform, antennal segment III is yellow, IV and V yellow at base, and VI-VIII completely brown, ocellar setae I in front of anterior ocellus is present and distinct, the metanotal median area has weakly transverse reticulations at anterior and irregular longitudinal or equiangular reticulations on posterior half, and the second vein of fore wing has only 9-12 setae. Moreover, in Craspedothrips hargreavesi tergites have a complete craspedum of unbroken border or flange, and sternites a craspedum of broken border by 3 pairs of posteromarginal setae.
Species of Craspedothrips are similar to Chirothrips guillarmodi, Diarthrothrips coffeae, and Scolothrips rhagebianus in having 8-segmented antennae with forked sense cone on segments III and IV, tergite VIII without paired ctenidia and without regular rows of fine microtrichia laterally, and without posteromarginal comb of microtrichia, and in having 2 pairs of elongate pronotal posteroangular setae. But Chirothrips guillarmodi has a trapezoidal pronotum and a mesosternal furca without median spinula, Diarthrothrips coffeae with a metasternal furca with median spinula and tergites with median pair of setae longer than distance between their bases, and Scolothrips rhagebianus has a metasternal furca with median spinula and altogether 6 pairs of elongate pronotal setae.

Life history
As with other thrips species the life cycle from egg to adult is dependent on temperature. The full cycle can take less than a week to over a month and adults may live for more than one month producing several generations in one year depending on seasonal weather (Lewis 1973).

Host plants
Frequently associated with Aloe vera, on flowers of various plant species.
Crops: beans, Bixa, cashew, carrot, cassava, cowpea, cotton, mango, yam.
Weeds: Glycine wightii, Senna occidentalis.

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

Damage and symptoms
-

Detection and control strategies
-

Biogeography

Afrotropical Region, Yemen. Ethiopia (Ever Gota), Ghana (Yegi), Malawi (Lilongwe), Nigeria (Ibadan), South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal: Richarďs Bay), Sudan (Tayiba - Blue Nil Province), Uganda (Kampala).

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

Masumoto M & Okajima S (2005). Trichromothrips Priesner (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) of Japan and Taiwan, with descriptions of four new species and a review of the Trichromothrips group of genera. Zootaxa. 1082: 1-27

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Priesner H (1936). On some further new Thysanoptera from the Sudan. Bulletin de la Société Royale Entomologique ďÉgypte. 20: 83-104

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

zur Strassen R (1966). Craspedothrips, eine neue aethiopische Thripiden-Gattung (Ins., Thysanoptera). Senckenbergiana Biologica. 47 (6): 443-446