Antenna	Head	Pronotum	Pteronotum
Forewing	Sternites 4-6	Tergites 7-9	Tergite 8

Figures

Fig. 1: Antenna (inset: III. and IV. antennal segment)
Fig. 2: Head dorsal with ocellar triangle
Fig. 3: Pronotum
Fig. 4: Meso- and metanotum
Fig. 5: Forewing
Fig. 6: Sternites IV-VI
Fig. 7: Tergites VII - IX
Fig. 8: Tergite VIII

Taxonomic Information

Species:
Chaetanaphothrips signipennis (Bagnall, 1914)

Synonyms:
Physothrips citricorpus Girault, 1927
Euthrips musae Tryon in Girault, 1925
Euthrips biguttaticorpus Girault, 1924 
Scirtothrips signipennis Bagnall, 1914 

Common name:
Banana thrips

Present taxonomic position:
Family: Thripidae Stephens, 1829
Subfamily: Panchaetothripinae Bagnall, 1912
Genus: Chaetanaphothrips Priesner, 1926

Species Recognition

General information about the genus Chaetanaphothrips:
This genus contains individuals that are pale in color, some with dark markings on their wings. There are only twenty species in this genus and most are found in Southeast Asia. All of the species in this genus contain large stipple-like areas on tergite VIII, unique in the Terebrantia. There are four species that are considered pests and two are more common and are included in this key.

Typical character states of Chaetanaphothrips signipennis:

Body color
Mainly pale or yellow, with some darker markings

Antennae
Number of antennal segments: 8
Segment IV - forked sensorium: scarcely extending beyond base of segment V
Segments II and III shape: more or less symmetric
Segments III & IV sensoria: emergent and forked
Base of sensorium on antennal segment VI: no more than 2 times as wide as base of nearest seta
Terminal antennal segments: rarely elongate

Head:
Distance between bases of ocellar setae III: greater than width of first ocellus
Head shape between compound eyes: not prolonged
Ocellar setae III on head: arising within ocellar triangle anterior to tangent of anterior margin of hind ocelli
Postocular setae I: present
Surface of head, pronotum and fore legs: without strong reticulate sculpture

Prothorax
Number of pairs of elongate pronotal setae: 0-3
Number of pairs of elongate posteroangular pronotal setae: 1
Pronotum shape: rectangular
Number of pairs of pronotum posteromarginal minor setae: 2-3
Number of pairs of pronotum anteromarginal minor setae: 2-3

Mesothorax
Mesothoracic endofurca: with median spinula

Metathorax
Metanotal median area sculptured lines: transverse at anterior, but with irregular equiangular reticulation near posterior
Metanotal median setae length: shorter than lateral metanotal setae
Metanotal median setae position: arising behind anterior margin
Metanotum: without campaniform sensilla
Metanotum major sclerite: with two major sclerites, metascutum and metascutellum
Metanotum median area: with at least some equiangular reticulation
Metanotum sculpture: without dominant sculptured triangle medially
Metathoracic endofurca: transverse, sometimes with simple median spinula

Wings
Wings: present and more than half as long as abdomen
First vein of forewing: distinct from costal vein
Forewing anterior margin: with setae and cilia but cilia longer than setae
Forewing color: alternating bands of dark and light
Forewing costal fringe of cilia: arising at anterior margin of wing
Forewing costal setae at middle of wing: shorter than median width of wing
Forewing first vein setal row: incomplete, with setae not closely and uniformly spaced
Forewing posterior margin cilia: undulated near apex
Forewing second vein setal row: incomplete, with setae not closely and uniformly spaced
Forewing surface: not reticulate
Forewings: with veins, setae and microtrichia

Legs
Fore tibial apex: not extending around fore tarsus
Mid and hind tarsi: with two segments

Abdomen:
Abdominal pleurotergites:  not covered in microtrichia
Abdominal segment X: never tubular, longitudinally incomplete ventrally in both sexes
Abdominal sternite II: with marginal setae but no discal setae
Abdominal sternite III of female: with small transverse glandular area
Abdominal sternite VII median marginal setae: arising in front of margin
Abdominal sternites IV , V and VI: with marginal setae but no discal setae
Number of lateral marginal setae on abdominal tergite II: 3
Abdominal tergites: without curved wing-retaining setae
Abdominal tergites IV & V median setal pair: much shorter than distance between their bases
Abdominal tergites V-VII: without paired ctenidia, sometimes with irregular microtrichia
Markings on tergites IV to VI: with no shaded areas on tergites and antecostal ridges
Setae on abdominal tergite X: slender
Surface of lateral thirds of abdominal tergites: without regular rows of fine microtrichia
Ctenidia on tergite VIII: not present, but groups of microtrichia
Tergite VIII posteromarginal comb of microtrichia: absent or present laterally, incomplete medially

Biology

Life history:
Life cycle is most likely similar to C. orchidii where females lay an average of 80-100 eggs and the duration from egg to adult lasts about one month dependent upon temperature and extends throughout the year in greenhouses (Pelikan, 1954).

Host plants:
Bananas, orchids, citrus, greenhouse plants

Vector capacity:
None identified

Current known distribution:
Tropical countries (Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Central and South America, North America)

Additional notes:
Chaetanaphothrips (species undetermined) have been intercepted at U.S. ports of entry. Thrips feeding results in russeted patches 'banana rust' on banana plants and fruit and this type of damage can be found on other fruits as well (Childers, 1997). Young leaves and floral buds on Anthurium, orchids and citrus become streaked with white and distorted. Scaring of citrus fruit from thrips feeding is also a problem in citrus growing regions.

Bibliography

Childers, CC  (1997): Feeding and oviposition injuries to plants. In: Lewis, T [Ed.], Thrips as crop pests. Wallingford, Oxon, 505-537.
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 microscopial methods. CBIT, University of Queensland,CDROM ISBN 1-86499-781-8.
Mound, LA & Marullo, R (1996): The thrips of Central and South America: An Introduction (Insecta: Thysanoptera). Associated Publishers, Gainesville.
Mound, LA & Kibby, G (1998): Thysanoptera: An identification guide,  (2nd edition). CAB International, Wallingford and New York, 70pp.
Pelikán, J (1954): Remarks on the orchid thrips Chaetanaphothrips orchidii (M.). Folia Zoologica et Entomologica. 3(17): 3-12.
Palmer, JM, Mound, LA & Du Heaume, GJ (1989): 2. Thysanoptera, pp. 73. In Betts, CR [Ed.], CIE Guides to Insects of Important to Man. CAB International, Wallingford.

Links:
Mound, LA (2005): Thysanoptera (Thrips) of the World - A Checklist. http://www.ento.csiro.au/thysanoptera/worldthrips.html