Frankliniella insignis
Recognition data
Distinguishing features
This species has not been studied by the present authors, but is similar in structure to F. tritici .
Related and similar species
F. insignis is very similar to, and is possibly the Western USA form of, the Eastern flower thrips, F. tritici . More than 160 species are currently 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 unrecognized variability in size and color of so many species. Scarcely ten of these species are native to parts of the world other than the Americas.
Taxonomic data
Current valid name
Frankliniella insignis Moulton
Original name and synonyms
Frankliniella insignis Moulton, 1936: 170
Frankliniella citri Moulton, 1936: 170
Family placement
Thripidae, Thripinae
Biological data
Life history
Presumably flower-living
Host plants
Not known
Tospoviruses vectored
None
Crop damage
None
Distribution data
Area of origin
Western USA
Distribution
California, Arizona