Frankliniella ewarti

Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Both sexes fully winged. Body and legs mainly yellow with weak brown shading; antennal segment I pale, II–V with apex brown, VI darker than II; fore wing pale. Head slightly wider than long; three pairs of ocellar setae present, pair III shorter than diameter of one ocellus, arising between anterior margins of posterior ocelli; postocular setae pair I present, pair IV shorter than diameter of hind ocellus. Antennae 8-segmented; segments III–IV with forked sensorium. Pronotum with anteromarginal and anteroangular setae scarcely longer than discal setae, two pairs of posteroangulars long; one pair of minor setae medially between posteromarginal submedian setae; posteromarginal setae IV no larger than III. Metanotum with 2 pairs of setae close to anterior margin, campaniform sensilla present. Fore wing with 2 complete rows of veinal setae. Abdominal tergites V–VIII with paired ctenidia, VIII with ctenidia anterolateral to spiracle; posteromarginal comb on VIII with long, slender microtrichia on small triangular bases. Sternites III–VII without discal setae.

Related and similar species

F. ewarti is particularly similar to F. tuttlei, the only difference apparently being in the color of the second antennal segment. These two are among the 24 species comprising the F. minuta group that have the major setae unusually small (Sakimura & O'Neill, 1979). The members of this group are particularly associated with flowers of the Asteraceae, and are known mainly from South and Central America and western USA. Currently 230 species are listed in the genus Frankliniella, with up to 130 further names placed into synonymy (Nakahara, 1997). This high rate of synonymy has been due to the previously unrecognized variability in size and color of so many species.

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Frankliniella ewarti Sakimura & O'Neill

Original name and synonyms

• Frankliniella ewarti Sakimura & O'Neill, 1979: 19

Family placement

Thripidae, Thripinae

Biological data

Life history

Presumably flower-living

Host plants

Collected from Hymenoclea salsola (Asteraceae), also Lupinus flowers (Fabaceae)

Tospoviruses vectored

None

Crop damage

None recorded

Distribution data

Area of origin

Western USA

Distribution

California