Generic diagnosis

Large brown or black Idolothripinae, Macrothripina. Head elongate, elevated dorsally; maxillary stylets retracted to postocular setae, about one-fifth to one-third of head width apart; postocellar and postocular setae long; genae with several setae, also one ommatidium isolated laterally just behind each eye. Antennae 8-segmented, VIII constricted to base, III with 2 sense cones, IV with 4. Pronotum emarginate at anterior, with 5 pairs of major setae but anteromarginal pair smallest. Prosternal basantra present, ferna large; mesopresternum transverse; metathoracic sternopleural sutures absent. Fore tarsus with small or large tooth. Fore wings, when present, not constricted medially, with many duplicated cilia. Pelta broadly triangular; tergites each with one pair of wing-retaining setae; tube slightly shorter than head. Large male with fore legs enlarged; tergite IX setae S1 and S2 equally long; sternites without pore plates.

Nomenclatural data

Celidothrips Priesner, 1951: 361. Type species Docessissophothrips adiaphorus Karny, by monotypy.

A genus of four species from Indonesia, Australia and Solomon Islands (ThripsWiki, 2022).

Australian species
Celidothrips camelus (Karny, 1920: 43).
Celidothrips dolichos (Hood, 1918: 144).

Relationship data

This is one of 13 genera placed in the Idolothripinae, Pygothripini, Macrothripina. All 13 genera in this sub-tribe are from the Old World tropics (Mound & Palmer 1983).

Distribution data

The two species of this genus found in Australia were both taken in northern Queensland.

Biological data

The adults feed on fungal spores on dead branches.

References

Mound LA (1974) Spore-feeding Thrips (Phlaeothripidae) from Leaf Litter and Dead Wood in Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 27: 1–106.

Mound LA & Palmer JM (1983) The generic and tribal classification of spore-feeding Thysanoptera (Phlaeothripidae: Idolothripinae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). Entomology 46: 1–174

ThripsWiki (2022) ThripsWiki - providing information on the World's thrips. Available from: http://thrips.info/wiki/ (Accessed 15.iii.2022)