Distinguishing features

Female macropterous; body dark brown; all tarsi and bases and apices of tibiae yellow; antennal segment II dark brown, III and IV yellow with apical half light brown, V mainly yellow with apex shaded; fore wing brown, with two white cross bands, sub-basally and sub-apically, also variably pale on anterior part of median dark band, extreme apex dark. Head not constricted at base. Antennae 8-segmented, III and IV with long forked sensorium, VIII at least twice as long as VII. Pronotum reticulate, many markings within each reticle, no long setae. Metanotum irregularly reticulate, one pair of major setae near anterior margin. Tarsi elongate but 1-segmented; hind coxae with coiled internal apodeme. Fore wing second vein with about five setae; longest costal cilia almost as long as costal setae. Tergite lateral thirds with widely-spaced transverse lines and many markings between these; VIII with craspedum medially, tooth-like microtrichia laterally; median split on X about half as long as tergite.
Male tergite IX with three pairs of stout setae medially; sternites IV-VII with small transverse pore plate.

Related species

Caliothrips is a genus of 23 species. Most of these are from the New World, with ten in North or Meso-America and three from Carribean Islands. Four species are from Africa and three from Asia, and two species extend into Australia. C. quadrifasciatus has the abdominal tergites with transverse striae, but unlike C. striatopterus the extreme apex of the forewing is dark.

Biological data

Apparently associated with Poaceae, and breeding on the leaves of various grasses.

Distribution data

Described from Sudan, and recorded from eastern Africa; widespread in India (Wilson, 1975), but found rarely in northern Australia.

Family name

THRIPIDAE, PANCHAETOTHRIPINAE

Species name

Caliothrips quadrifasciatus (Girault)

Original name and synonyms

Sericothrips quadrifasciatus Girault, 1927: 1
Caliothrips graminicola Bagnall & Cameron, 1932: 417.

References

ThripsWiki (2020) Thrips Wiki-providing information on the World’s thrips. Available from: http://thrips.info/wiki/Main Page [accessed 28.viii.2019].