Frankliniella zucchini Nakahara & Monteiro, 1999: 290.

Original reference: Nakahara S & Monteiro RC (1999) Frankliniella zucchini (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), a new species and vector of Tospovirus in Brazil. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 101: 290–294.

Family

Thripidae, Thripinae

Nomenclatural information

http://thrips.info/wiki/Frankliniella_zucchini

Diagnosis

Body yellow, including legs; antennal segments VI–VIII brown, III brown in apical half, IV–V brown with a short pale area basally; fore wings pale. Head with three pairs of ocellar setae, pair III long, arising within ocellar triangle; postocular setae I absent. Antennae 8-segmented, III & IV with forked sense cones; pedicel on segment III simple. Pronotum not sculptured, 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 sculpture anteriorly, reticulate posteromedially; campaniform sensilla present; 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 complete posteromarginal comb of microtrichia. Sternites without discal setae, with three pairs of long posteromarginal setae. Both sexes fully winged.

Male smaller, with transverse pore plate on abdominal sternites III–VII; tergite VIII with complete posteromarginal comb of microtrichia.

Intraspecific variation

Populations in southern Brazil that are otherwise indistinguishable from gemina commonly comprise individuals with antennal segment II uniformly brown, and segment V largely brown with only the basal third yellow.

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 zucchini was distinguished from gemina because of the lack of postocular setal pair I, and a slight difference in position of ocellar setal pair III. However, the validity of these small yellow species needs further confirmation, preferably through both breeding experiments and molecular analysis. A key to Frankliniella species recorded from Brazil is provided by Cavalleri & Mound (2012).

World distribution

Known only from Brazil.

Distribution in Brazil

http://fauna.jbrj.gov.br/fauna/faunadobrasil/62177 

Life history

Breeds on Cucurbitaceaeas courgette (Cucurbita pepo) and cucumber (Cucumis sativus).

Economic importance

Frankliniella zucchini is the only vector of the Zucchini lethal chlorosis tospovirus (ZLCT), which is frequently associated with severe yield loss on cucurbit crops in Brazil (Giampan et al. 2009).

References suggested

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

Giampan JS, Rezende JAM & Piedade SMS (2009) Danos causados pelo Zucchini lethal chlorosis virus (ZLCV) sobre a produção de frutos comerciais de abobrinha de moita 'Caserta'. Summa phytopathologica 35(3): 223–225.

Nakahara S & Monteiro RC (1999) Frankliniella zucchini (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), a new species and vector of Tospovirus in Brazil. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 101: 290–294.