Aptinothrips styliferAptinothrips styliferBoth sexes without wings. Body and legs yellow, antennal segments VI–VIII shaded brown, also apex of abdomen. Antennae 8-segmented; segment VI pedicilate, 1.5 times as long as V; segments III & IV each with sense cone simple. Head and pronotum without long setae; head longer than wide, ocelli not developed. Meso & metanota transverse. Tarsi 2-segmented. Abdominal tergites and sternites with no posteromarginal craspedum; tergites without discal setae; tergite IX posteromedian setae about 0.6 times as long as lateral pair of setae; sternites with many discal setae.
Male similar but smaller; sternites without pore plates; tergite IX with 2 pairs of stout thorn-like setae.
Four species are recognized in this European genus (Palmer, 1975; zur Strassen, 2003). These are all completely wingless, but differ in the number of antennal and tarsal segments, and also in details of the chaetotaxy on the tergites and sternites. Two of the species are known only from Eurasia, but both A. rufus and A. stylifer are more widely distributed around the world. A. rufus has the antennae 6-segmented and the tarsi with only one segment. Stannard (1968) referred to A. stylifer as the "stylifera-form" of A. rufus.
Feeding and breeding on the leaves of various grasses [Poaceae], with an apparent preference for slender-leaved species.
Originally from Europe, but now widespread in northern latitudes, and also in New Zealand.
THRIPIDAE - THRIPINAE
Aptinothrips stylifer Trybom
Aptinothrips stylifer Trybom, 1894: 43
Palmer JM (1975) The grass-living genus Aptinothrips Haliday (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). Journal of Entomology (B) 44 (2): 175–188.
Stannard LJ (1968) The Thrips, or Thysanoptera, of Illinois. Bulletin of the Illinois Natural History Survey 29: 213–552.
zur Strassen R (2003) Die terebranten Thysanopteren Europas und des Mittelmeer-Gebietes. Die Tierwelt Deutschlands 74: 1–271.
