Generic diagnosis

Female macropterous. Head slightly longer than wide; maxillary palps 3-segmented; eyes without pigmented facets; ocellar setae I absent, III long; four pairs of postocular setae, pair III long. Antennae 8-segmented; segment I without paired dorso-apical setae, III and IV with short forked sense-cones; III–V with microtrichia on both surfaces; V broadly joined with VI; VII and VIII elongate. Pronotum transverse, strongly sculptured, with two pairs of long posteroangular setae, three pairs of posteromarginal setae. Mesonotum with median setae far in front of margin; anteromedian campaniform sensilla present. Metanotum irregularly reticulate; median pair behind anterior margin; campaniform sensilla present. Fore wing first vein with long gap in setal row, 3 setae on distal half; second vein with about 8 widely spaced setae; clavus with four veinal and one discal setae; posteromarginal fringe cilia wavy. Prosternal ferna not divided; basantra membranous, without setae; prospinasternum broad and transverse. Mesosternum with sternopleural sutures complete; mesosternal endofurca with spinula, metasternal endofurca without spinula. Tarsi 2-segmented. Tergites without ctenidia or craspeda; VIII with comb of long microtrichia; IX with anterior pair of campaniform sensilla, MD setae present; X without split. Sternites without discal setae, III–VII with 3 pairs of marginal setae, II with two pairs; VII with setae S1 well in front of margin.
Male similar to female, sternites III–VII with pore plate.

Biological data

No clear host association has been determined, but the species appears to be associated with the leaves of grasses (zur Strassen, 2003).

Distribution data

Widespread across Europe, and recorded from Hebei Province, in Northeast China.

Nomenclatural data

Rhaphidothrips Uzel, 1895: 131. Type species Rhaphidothrips longistylosus Uzel, by monotypy.

The single European species in this genus (ThripsWiki, 2020) is also recorded from China:

longistylosus Uzel, 1895: 131.

Relationship data

Thripidae sub-family Thripinae: this is a diverse group involving more than 230 genera. No obvious relationships have been suggested for Rhaphidothrips, although in general appearance it ressembles some species of Taeniothrips despite the remarkable antennae.

References

Hu QL & Feng JN (2013) A newly recorded genus Rhaphidothrips Uzel in China and its only species (Thysanoptera, Thripidae). Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica 38 (2): 432–435.

ThripsWiki (2020). ThripsWiki - providing information on the World's thrips. <http://thrips.info/wiki/Main_Page>

zur Strassen R (2003) Die terebranten Thysanopteren Europas und des Mittelmeer-Gebietes. Die Tierwelt Deutschlands 74: 1–271.