
C. graminellus Head
C. graminellus Antenna
C. graminellus Pronotum
C. graminellus Fore leg
C. graminellus Prosternites
Medium sized, macropterous Phlaeothripinae-Haplothripini. Head longer than wide, vertex with few weak striae; postocular setae pointed, extending just beyond posterior margin of eyes; mouth cone short; maxillary stylets retracted to postocular setae, at least one third of head width apart, with maxillary bridge. Antennae 8-segmented; segment III with 1 sense-cone, IV with 2; segment VIII scarcely constricted at base. Pronotum without sculpture; major setae reduced, anteromarginals minute, anteroangulars and midlaterals scarcely larger than discal setae, epimerals and posteroangulars no longer than postocular setae; notopleural sutures complete. Prosternal basantra present; ferna well developed; mesopresternum reduced to pair of triangles that are sometimes weakly joined medially; metathoracic sternopleural sutures absent. Female with fore tarsal tooth small, also fore femora weakly expanded with external apical margain slightly recurved. Male with larger fore tarsal tooth, fore femora with more distinct recurved external apical margin. Fore wings constricted medially; with 1‒7 duplicated cilia. Pelta triangular; tergites II‒VII each with two pairs of sigmoid wing-retaining setae; tergite IX setae pointed, shorter than or about as long as tube; tube shorter than head. Male tergite IX setae S2 short and stout; sternite VIII with no pore plate.
The members of this genus appear to be unusual species of Haplothrips. The only difference is that the fore femora of both sexes are slightly to considerably enlarged, with the apical external margin slightly recurved.
The species are probably all associated with various Poaceae species, possibly living in the florets judging from the curious Chirothrips-like fore femora..
One species, graminellus, is known from Egypt as well as the eastern Mediterranean including southern Greece, and is recorded from India (Tyagi & Kumar, 2016). The other two species listed in the genus are from southwestern Sudan and South Africa (ThripsWiki, 2023).
Chiraplothrips Priesner, 1931: 271. Type species Haplothrips (Chiraplothrips) faureanus Priesner 1931, by monotypy.
Only three species are listed in this genus (ThripsWiki, 2023).
Euro-Mediterranean species
Chiraplothrips graminellus Priesner, 1939
Priesner H (1964) Ordnung Thysanoptera (Fransenflügler, Thripse). in Franz H, Bestimmungsbücher zur Bodenfauna Europas 2: 1–242. Akademie-Verlag.
Tyagi K & Kumar V (2016) Thrips (Insecta: Thysanoptera) of India-an updated checklist. Halteres 7: 64–98.
ThripsWiki (2023). ThripsWiki - providing information on the World's thrips. <http://thrips.info/wiki/Main_Page>