Body dark brown; all tarsi and tibiae yellow; antennal segments I–II dark brown, III–V yellow, VI yellow at basal third, VII–VIII brown; fore wing brown, distinctively paler in basal fourth. Head with three pairs of ocellar setae, pair III long and arising within ocellar triangle; postocular setae I absent. Antennae 8-segmented, III & IV with forked sense cones; III with simple pedicel. Pronotum not sculptured and with two pairs of very long posteroangular setae; anteroangular and anteromarginal setae well-developed, about 0.5 as long as pronotum length. Mesothoracic spinula long, metathoracic spinula absent. Metanotum with transverse lines of reticulation anteriorly, irregularly reticulate posteromedially; campaniform sensilla present or absent; two pairs of setae arising at anterior margin. Fore wing with first and second rows of setae complete and closely spaced. Abdominal tergites V–VIII with ctenidia laterally, ctenidia on VIII anterolateral to spiracle; VIII with posteromarginal comb of small and irregular teeth. Sternites without discal setae, with three pairs of long posteromarginal setae. Both sexes fully winged.
Male bicoloured and with transverse pore plates on abdominal sternites III–VII.
Intraspecific variation
The hind tibiae is sometimes washed with brown medially.
Genus and similar species information
Frankliniella is one of the largest genera amongst Thysanoptera, comprising more than 160 described species. About 90% of the species are from the Neotropics and their taxonomy is usually complex. Almost all members have 8-segmented antennae, three pairs of ocellar setae and fore wing with both rows of setae complete. About 40 species are recorded from Brazil, and almost half of these were described from this country. Frankliniella fulvipescan be distinguished from the other Frankliniella species by the lack of postocular I and the yellow tibiae. A key to Frankliniella species recorded from Brazil is provided by Cavalleri & Mound (2012).
World distribution
Recorded from Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica and Peru.
