Print Fact SheetChirothrips ruptipennis

Distinguishing features

Female fully winged or micropterous, variable in size. Body, antennae and legs brown, tarsi paler, fore wings light brown. Antennae 8-segmented; segment II asymmetric with prolonged external margin bearing terminal seta-like sensorium; segments III–IV each with bluntly pointed simple sense cone. Head small, strongly prolonged in front of eyes; ocellar setae pair III anterolateral to fore ocellus, 4–6 pairs of setae present on pre-ocellar region; 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, smaller than lateral pair; campaniform sensilla present (on anterior half of sclerite in microptera). Fore wings pointed; first vein distal half with 2 setae, second vein with 4 setae. Abdominal tergites with transverse sculpture lines medially; posterior margin with craspedum; ovipositor long but with weak teeth. Sternites II–V posterior margin with small rounded tubercles.
Male with minute wing lobe; head without ocelli; sternites III–VII with small circular pore plate. 

Related species

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. ruptipennis is similar in structure to manicatus, differing in the form and chaetotaxy of antennal segment II, with the median dorsal seta closer to the outer edge than to the midline.

Biological data

Each larva feeds and pupates within a single flower of its host plant, and these include Poaceae in several genera, particularly Poa and Koeleria (Minaei & Mound, 2010).

Distribution data

In Britain, recorded commonly in north eastern Scotland (Mound et al., 1976). Found across the northern Palaearctic, although also recorded in Spain and Sicily.

Family name

THRIPIDAE - THRIPINAE

Species name

Chirothrips ruptipennis Priesner

Original name and synonyms

Chirothrips ruptipennis Priesner, 1938: 25
Chirothrips ruptipennis f. pseudobrachyptera Boder, 1941: 150

References

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.