Aptinothrips rufus (Haliday, 1836)

Biology
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.
Distribution
Found in countries with temperate climates throughout the world, including highland areas in tropical countries.
Recognition
Female apterous; body colour yellow, antennal segment VI shaded with brown. Antennae 6-segmented, VI twice as long as V, III & IV each with simple sense cone. Head, longer than wide, without ocelli or long setae. Pronotum without long setae; meso and metanotum transverse; tarsi each with one segment. Tergites with 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 similar to female but smaller; sternites without glandular areas; tergite IX with 2 pairs of stout thorn-like setae.
Related species
Five species are listed in this genus (Palmer, 1975), all completely wingless, but differing in the number of antennal and tarsal segments, and also in details of the tergal and sternal chaetotaxy. The only related species that is encountered commonly is A. stylifer, but in that the antennae are 8-segmented and the tergites lack discal setae.

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