Celidothrips Priesner, 1951: 361. Type-species: Docessissophothrips adiaphorus Karny, by monotypy.
Four species have previously been known in this genus, in which C. adiaphrus (Karny) was described from Java, C. lawrencei (Mound) from Solomon Islands, and both C. camelus (Karny) and C. dolichos (Hood) from Australia. Mound (1974) redefined this genus with a key to these four species. The individual features in the definition of the genus do not necessarily appear to be peculiar within the Macrothripina. The isolated ommatidium-like structure, elongate and dorsally elevated head with long and close maxillary stylets, postocular and postocellar setae both elongate, strongly emarginate anterior margin of pronotum and broadly triangular pelta are shared with certain species of Ethirothrips. However, the isolated ommatidium-like structure of Celidothrips is larger and more distinct. Therefore, the status of Celidothrips as a genus is recognised here with some hesitation.
Key to Celidothrips species from Southeast Asia
1. Body unicolourous brown to dark brown; postocular setae much longer than their distance; fore tarsal tooth stout in both sexes; pelta sharply pointed laterally (Figs 23 & 24); tube almost as long as head, more than 0.9 times as long as head... adiaphorus
- Body bicoloured (Fig. 215), head largely brown, thorax and abdominal segments I–V distinctly paler than head, brownish yellow, gradually darkened from abdominal segment VI to tube, brown to dark brown; postocular setae almost as long as their distance, or shorter; fore tarsal tooth vestigial at least in apterous female (Fig. 29); pelta rounded laterally (Fig. 30); tube shorter than 0.8 times as long as head.................................................................. floresi sp. n.