Original reference: Trybom F (1911) Physapoden aus Ägypten und dem Sudan. pp 1–16 in Results of the Swedish Zoological Expedition to Egypt and the White Nile (1900-1901) under the direction of L.A.Jagerskiold Pt IV.
Body sharply bicoloured, largely dark brown with abdominal segments III–V (or VI) yellow; legs yellow; antennal segments I–II & V–VIII brown, III–IV yellow; fore wings pale with dark sub-basal band. Head projecting very slightly in front of eyes and with three pairs of ocellar setae; ocellar setae III short and arising outside ocellar triangle. Antennae 8-segmented, III & IV with forked sense cones. Pronotum weakly sculptured and with no long setae. Mesothoracic spinula long; metathoracic spinula absent. Metanotum irregularly reticulate; campaniform sensilla present or absent; two pairs of setae, median pair arising well behind anterior margin. Tarsi 2-segmented. Fore wing with first and second row of setae interrupted. Abdominal tergites often with small dentate microtrichia on sculpture lines laterally; sculpture not extending mesad of setae S2; dentate microtrichia laterally on posterior margin; VIII with a complete posteromarginal comb of microtrichia. Sternite VII with median pair of setae arising in front of posterior margin. Females macropterous or micropterous, males always micropterous.
Male usually extensively yellow; tergite IX with two pairs of thorn-like setae; abdominal sternites III–VIII with large C-shaped pore plates.
Intraspecific variation
Body colour variable; antennal segments I–II sometimes yellow. Micropterous females lack ocelli.
Genus and similar species information
The genus Anaphothrips comprises about 80 species, but none of them seems to be native from the Neotropics. Members of this group do not have long setae on head and pronotum, and many species have the antennae clearly 9-segmented, while others clearly have only 8 segments as in A. sudanensis. But several species have an intermediate condition with segment VI bearing a partial and often oblique transverse suture as in the other species reported to Neotropics, A. obscurus. Anaphothrips sudanensis is also remarkable in having females with body strongly bicoloured.
World distribution
Described from Philippines, it is now widely distributed in Asia. It is also recorded from Australia, Caribbean and Central America, and African continent.
Distribution in Brazil
Not recorded yet, but it is likely to occur in North Brazil.
Life history
Breeds on several grasses, commonly found in the leaf axils.
Economic importance
Referred as a minor pest at times on various cereal crops.
References suggested
Mound LA & Marullo R (1996) The Thrips of Central and South America: An Introduction. Memoirs on Entomology, International 6: 1–488.
Mound LA & Masumoto M (2009) Australian Thripinae of the Anaphothrips genus-group (Thysanoptera), with three new genera and thirty-three new species. Zootaxa 2042: 1–76.
