
Phlaeothripinae but with maxillary stylets unusually broad, 4–6 microns wide. Head usually constricted behind eyes; postocular setae long and capitate; stylets about one-fifth of head width apart and retracted to postocular setae. Antennae 8-segmented, III with 2 or 3 sense cones, IV with 2, 3 or 4 sense cones; VIII long and constricted to base. Pronotum with 5 pairs of major capitate setae (rarely 4); notopleural sutures usually complete. Prosternal basantra absent; mesopresternum transverse; metathoracic sternopleural sutures absent. Fore tarsal tooth usually absent in both sexes. Fore wing with duplicated cilia (rarely with none). Pelta variably bell-shaped to triangular, with lateral area unsculptured; campaniform sensilla present or absent; wing-retaining setae on tergites II and III commonly with apices uncinate; tergite IX setae long, intermediate pair (iS) almost as long as setal pair S1; tube shorter than head. Male without sternal pore plates.
Despite the maxillary stylets being unusually broad, this genus is presumably a member of the Phlaeothripinae, Phlaeothrips-lineage, in which group it seems to share particular character states with Hoplandrothrips.
Members of this genus are found in leaf litter, where they presumably feed on fungal hyphae or the breakdown products of hyphal decay.
All of the species in this genus are known only from eastern Asia and Australia. Priesner (1965: 370) included the genus name in the key to genera from Egypt, but no collection details were provided, and the record is particularly doubtful.
Apelaunothrips Karny, 1925: 82. Type species Ophidothrips medioflavus Karny 1925, by monotypy. Replacement name for Ophidothrips Karny nec Ophidothrips Schmutz.
There are 40 species listed worldwide in this genus (ThripsWiki, 2023).
Euro-Mediterranean species
Priesner (1965: 370) included this genus in his key to species from Egypt, but without any species or further reference.
Mound LA (2013) Species diversity in the Palaeotropical leaf-litter genus Apelaunothrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae). Zootaxa 3741(1):181–193.
Priesner, H (1965) A monograph of the Thysanoptera of the Egyptian deserts. Publications de l’Institut Desert d’Egypte 13: 1–549. [Published in 1965, the front cover of the volume bears the date 1960 whereas the back cover indicates 1964. The manuscript went to the publisher on 1st October 1951 - teste Herman Priesner to Laurence Mound at Linz, Austria, in 1966]
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