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Stenacidia violacea is moderately common and widespread and, as its name suggests, is violet in colour. Males reach 0.5 mm in length whereas females grow to 0.7 mm. In Stenacidia violacea (as well as all Sminthurides species), the male antenna is modified to grasp the female during mating and the long spine on the second antennal segment (ant2) is curved (Figs. 1, 2). Females do not possess sub-anal appendages (SAA). The fourth antennal segment in the female is not divided into subsegments (Fig. 3). The mucro is long and thin without lamellae (Fig. 4). A tibiotarsal organ (tt organ) is present on the third leg (Fig. 5) and the empodium of the foot is shorter than the claw (Fig. 6). The map includes a few records under the name Jeannenotia stachi but this is now recognised to be a junior synonym of Stenacidia violacea. The species is found in a variety of habitats including agricultural crops.
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