Franklinothrips Back

Franklinothrips Back, 1912: 76 . Type species: Aeolothrips vespiformis Crawford, by monotypy.

Wing fully developed. Head usually partly retracted into prothorax and slightly prolonged anteriorly, with no long setae; fore ocellus about half the diameter of hind ocelli (Fig. 80). Compound eyes prolonged ventrally with enlarged ommatidia. Maxillary palps 3-segmented, segment III short. Antennal segments III–IV long and slender, with elongate and sinuous or multifaceted sensoria, III at least 8 times as long as wide (Fig. 81). Pronotum without long setae. Mesonotum with median pair of setae medially. Metascutum almost smooth medially; with median pair of setae near posterior margin. Fore wing slender, costal vein with fringe cilia but no setae (Fig. 23); clavus with 4– 7 veinal setae. Fore tarsus with recurved ventral hamus. Abdominal segments I–II more or less constricted in female; tergites II–VIII with S1 setae minute and wide apart; tergite X with paired trichobothria very small; sternites with 2 pairs of posteromarginal setae and 1–2 pairs of setae laterally in front of the margin; sternite VII with two pairs of accessary setae near posterior margin. Male tergite I with paired weak longitudinal ridges terminating in square or rounded apex overhanging tergite II.

Remarks. Previously, this genus included 16 species, with six Neotropical, five Oriental, three Australasian and two Afrotropical, although species such as F. megalops and F. vespiformis are widespread (ThripsWiki 2018; Mound & Reynaud 2005). Members of the genus are obligate predators and several species are ant-mimics. An identification key to 14 species is available (Mound & Reynaud 2005). This genus is closely related to the monotypic African genus Corynothripoides, which may be a synonym of Franklinothrips, but the later genus has head with the greater prolongation in front of compound eyes (Mound & Reynaud, 2005).