Chirothrips molestusChirothrips molestusFemale fully winged. Body, antennae and legs brown, tarsi paler, fore wings light brown. Antennae 8-segmented; segment II asymmetric with prolonged external margin but apex without a seta-like sensorium; segments III–IV each with bluntly pointed simple sense cone. Head small, prolonged in front of eyes; 3 pairs of ocellar setae present, pair III anterolateral to fore ocellus (pairs I and II sometimes duplicated); maxillary palps 3-segmented. Pronotum trapezoidal, 2 pairs of prominent posteroangular setae. Metanotum reticulate, sculpture forming arches around posterior midpoint; median setae not at anterior margin, sub-equal in length to lateral pair; campaniform sensilla present. Fore wings pointed; first vein distal half with 2 setae, second vein with 4–6 setae. Abdominal tergites with transverse sculpture lines medially but no craspedum, margin variable, with slender pointed teeth or minute tubercles; ovipositor robust with prominent teeth. Posterior margin of sternites II–V with minute tubercles; setal pair S1 on VII arising well in front of margin.
Male with minute wing lobe; head without ocelli; sternites III–IV (or even III–VIII) with circular pore plate
Currently there are 42 species worldwide placed in the genus Chirothrips. In contrast, zur Strassen (1960) treated the genus in a broad sense, with a key to 50 species, whereas Bhatti (1990b) placed several of the species into six new genera, and the generic classification was further reviewed by Nakahara & Foottit (2012). From Europe, zur Strassen (2003) recognised 14 species of Chirothrips, of which five have been taken in Britain. C. molestus differs from manicatus in lacking a seta-like sensorium at the extreme apex of antennal segment II, and the tergal posteromarginal craspeda are more weakly developed.
Each larva feeds and pupates within a single flower of its host plant, and these include Poaceae in several genera, particularly Agropyron (Minaei & Mound, 2010).
Recorded once in Britain, a single female swept from grass near Maidstone, Kent, in 1960 (Mound et al., 1976). Widespread, although not common, across the Palaearctic south east to Iran (zur Strassen, 2003).
THRIPIDAE - THRIPINAE
Chirothrips molestus Priesner
Chirothrips molestus Priesner, 1926: 142
Bhatti JS (1990b) On some genera related to Chirothrips (Insecta: Terebrantia: Thripidae). Zoology (Journal of Pure and Applied Zoology) 2 (4): 193–200.
Minaei K & Mound LA (2010) Grass-flower thrips of the genus Chirothrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), with a key to species from Iran. Zootaxa 2411: 33–43.
Mound LA, Morison GD, Pitkin BR & Palmer JM (1976) Thysanoptera. Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects 1 (11): 1–79.
Nakahara S & Foottit RG (2012) Review of Chirothrips and related genera (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) of the Americas, with descriptions of one new genus and four new species. Zootaxa 3251: 1–29.
zur Strassen R (1960) Key to and catalogue of the known species of Chirothrips Haliday, 1836 (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). Journal of the Entomological Society of South Africa 23 (1): 144–176.
zur Strassen R (2003) Die terebranten Thysanopteren Europas und des Mittelmeer-Gebietes. Die Tierwelt Deutschlands 74: 1–271.
