Frankliniella insularis (Franklin, 1908: 715).

Original reference: Franklin HJ (1908) On a collection of Thysanopterous insects from Barbados and St Vincent Islands. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 33: 715–730.

Family

Thripidae, Thripinae

Nomenclatural information

http://thrips.info/wiki/Frankliniella_insularis

Diagnosis

Body dark brown; fore tibiae and all tarsi yellow, mid and hind tibiae uniformly brown; antennal segments I–II & VI–VIII brown, III–IV yellow, V brown in apical half; fore wing extensively brown but pale basally. Head with three pairs of ocellar setae, pair III long, arising close to anterior margin of ocellar triangle (sometimes just outside ocellar triangle). Antennae 8-segmented, III & IV long and with apical neck, sense cones forked; III with simple pedicel. Pronotum not sculptured and with two pairs of long posteroangular setae; anteroangular and anteromarginal setae long, but less than 0.5 pronotum length. Mesothoracic spinula long, metathoracic spinula absent. Metanotum with transverse lines of reticulation anteriorly, reticulate posteromedially; campaniform sensilla present; two pairs of setae arising at anterior margin. Tarsi 2-segmented. 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 microtrichia usually interrupted medially with a few teeth missing. Sternites without discal setae,with three pairs of long posteromarginal setae. Both sexes fully winged.

Male with transverse pore plate on abdominal sternites III–VII.

Intraspecific variation

Campaniform sensilla on metascutum sometimes absent; tergite VIII sometimes with posteromarginal comb complete although then irregular 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 insularis can be distinguished from the other Frankliniella species by the posteromarginal comb of microtrichia on tergite VIII, which lacks a few teeth medially. A key to Frankliniella species recorded from Brazil is provided by Cavalleri & Mound (2012).

World distribution

Widespread in Central and South America, also recorded from USA.

Distribution in Brazil

http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/fauna/faunadobrasil/78193 

Life history

Breeding on flowers of several unrelated plants. In Brazil, adults and larvae are commonly found on Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (Malvaceae) flowers.

Economic importance

Causing damage on petals of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis and roses (Lima et al. 2016). Also reported as a minor pest of Citrus.

References suggested

Cavalleri A & Mound LA (2012) Toward the identification of Frankliniella species in Brazil (Thysanoptera, Thripidae). Zootaxa 3270: 1–30.

Lima EFB, Thomazini M, Santos RS, Lopes EN, Saito L & Zucchi RA (2016) New Findings of Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on Plants in Brazil. Florida Entomologist 99(1): 146–149.

Mound LA & Marullo R (1996) The Thrips of Central and South America: An Introduction. Memoirs on Entomology, International 6: 1–488.

Mound LA (2015) Problems in Costa Rican thrips taxonomy and systematics (Insecta, Thysanoptera). Florida Entomologist98: 27–31.