Distinguishing features

Female macroptera. Body either yellow with faint shadings on tergites and antennal segments VI-VIII brown, or brown with pronotum, tibiae and tarsi paler,and antennae brown with segments III-V yellow at base; fore wings pale with dark setae. Antennae 8-segmented; III-IV with forked sense cone, VIII longer than VII. Head wider than long; 3 pairs of ocellar setae, pair III arising close together between anterior margins of hind ocelli and as long as side of ocellar triangle; postocular setae pair IV as long as distance between hind ocelli. Pronotum with 5 pairs of major setae; anteromarginal setae slightly shorter than anteroangulars, one pair of minor setae present medially between posteromarginal submedian setae. Metanotum with 2 pairs of setae at anterior margin, campaniform sensilla absent. Fore wing with 2 complete rows of veinal setae. Tergites VI-VIII with paired lateral ctenidia, on VIII anterolateral of spiracle; posteromarginal comb on VIII not developed. Sternites III-VII without discal setae.
Male macroptera. Similar to female but smaller; tergite VIII with a few teeth laterally on posterior margin; sternites III-VII with broadly transverse pore plate.

Related species

Frankliniella species all have a pair of setae in front of the first ocellus, a complete row of setae on both veins of the fore wing, and a pair of ctenidia on tergite VIII situated anterolateral to the spiracles. Most of the 180 described species are known only from the neotropics, but F. schultzei, F. occidentalis and F. williamsi have been widely introduced around the world (Kirk & Terry, 2003). F. schultzei is exceptional within the genus because of the close placement of ocellar setae III within the ocellar triangle, and tergite V lacks paired ctenidia. The variation in colour within and between populations has been interpreted as indicating a series of sibling species, and this suggestion has been supported by molecular studies (Hereward et al., 2017).

Biological data

Feeding and breeding in flowers and on leaves. This is a highly polyphagous pest, that is also an important vector of tospoviruses on many crops. However, it also feeds on leaf mites of which it can be a useful biocontrol agent.

Distribution data

Pantropical, and widespread throughout Australia.

Family name

THRIPIDAE - THRIPINAE

Species name

Frankliniella schultzei (Trybom)

Original name and synonyms

Physopus schultzei Trybom, 1910: 151
Euthrips gossypii Shiraki, 1912: 56
Frankliniella sulphurea Schmutz, 1913: 1019
Frankliniella delicatula Bagnall, 1919: 263
Frankliniella trybomi Karny, 1920: 36
Frankliniella persetosa Karny, 1922: 97
Frankliniella dampfi Priesner, 1923: 64
Frankliniella tabacicola Karny, 1925: 4
Frankliniella dampfi interocellaris Karny, 1925: 126
Frankliniella africana Bagnall, 1926: 100
Frankliniella anglicana Bagnall, 1926: 281
Frankliniella aeschyli Girault, 1927: 2
Parafrankliniella nigripes Girault, 1928: 4
Frankliniella paucispinosa Moulton, 1933: 122
Frankliniella kellyana Kelly & Mayne, 1934: 20
Frankliniella dampfi nana Priesner, 1936: 85
Frankliniella lycopersici Andrewartha, 1937: 163
Frankliniella favoniana Priesner, 1938: 30
Frankliniella pembertoni Moulton, 1940: 247
Frankliniella clitoriae Moulton, 1940: 248
Frankliniella schultzei nigra Moulton, 1948: 100
Frankliniella ipomoeae Moulton, 1948: 95.

References

Hereward J, Hutchinson JA, McCulloch GA, Silva R, Walter GH (2017) Divergence among generalist herbivores: the Frankliniella schultzei species complex in Australia (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). Arthropod-Plant Interactions 11(6): 875–887.

Mound L, Hoddle MS & Hastings A (2019) Thysanoptera Californica. An identification and information system to thrips in California. Lucidcentral.org, Identic Pty Ltd, Queensland, Australia. https://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/thrips_of_california_2019/