Print Fact SheetCryptothrips

Generic diagnosis

Small macropterous or apterous Idolothripinae. Head a little longer than wide; eyes small, directed forwards and smaller ventrally than dorsally; genae converging to posterior with no stout setae; maxillary stylets retracted to postocular setae, close together medially. Antennae 8-segmented, III with 2 sense cones, IV with 3. Pronotum without sculpture, notopleural sutures complete; anteromarginal setae smaller than the other 4 pairs of major setae. Prosternal basantra present but weak; mesopresternum eroded, almost absent; metathoracic sternopleural sutures present. Metanotum with little or no sculpture. Fore tarsal tooth present in male, absent in female. Fore wing with about 6 duplicated cilia. Pelta extending widely across anterior margin of tergite II; tergites III–VI of macropterae each with a single pair of large sigmoid wing-retaining setae; tergite IX setae S1 and S2 long in both sexes, but shorter than tube; tube shorter than head.

Relationships

The genus has been used historically for a wide range of unrelated dark Phlaeothripidae, but is now restricted to only a few species that are known from widely separated places around the world. It is considered to be a member of the Pygothripina in the Idolothripinae, and this subtribe comprises nine genera.  

Biology

This species feeds on fungal spores on dead branches.

Distribution

Although nigripes is widespread across Europe, angustus remains known only from the original single specimen taken in "Bohemia" (Priesner, 1964). Most of the nine genera in the Pygothripina are from the Southern Hemisphere (Mound & Palmer, 1983). 

Nomenclature

Cryptothrips Uzel, 1895: 228. Type species Cryptothrips lata Uzel [synonym of nigripes Reuter], by subsequent designation.

Although 12 species worldwide are currently listed in this genus (ThripsWiki, 2023), several of these are probably not congeneric

Euro-Mediterranean species
Cryptothrips angustus Uzel, 1895.
Cryptothrips nigripes (Reuter, 1880).

References

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.

Mound LA & Tree DJ (2022) Tubulifera Australiensis - Thysanoptera-Phlaeothripidae Genera in Australia. Lucidcentral.org, Identic Pty Ltd, Queensland, Australia. https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v4/thrips/tubulifera/index.html

Priesner H (1964) Ordnung Thysanoptera (Fransenflügler, Thripse). in Franz H, Bestimmungsbücher zur Bodenfauna Europas 2: 1–242. Akademie-Verlag.