Frankliniella tritici (Fitch, 1855)

Miyasato, Elisa Aiko, 2017, The FranKliniella fauna of Brazil: additions and updated key to species (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), Zootaxa 4323 (3), pp. 391-402 : 399-400

Frankliniella tritici (Fitch, 1855)

( Figs 13 , 19, 23 , 36 )

Body yellow, except for antennal segments VI–VIII, apical 1/4 of V, apical half of IV and apical 1/3 of III brown and apical half of II suffused brown. Antennal segment III with pedicel slightly swollen ( Fig. 13 ). Ocellar setae III near external margins of ocellar triangle ( Fig. 19 ). Pronotum with weak striation; five pairs of setae well developed ( Fig. 23 ). Metanotum with median setae long at anterior margin of sclerite, almost reaching posterior margin of metanotum, pair of campaniform sensilla present. Abdominal tergite VIII with incomplete posteromarginal comb with three or four teeth laterally ( Fig. 36 ). Male similar, but with transverse pore plates on abdominal sternites III– VII.

Material Examined. Brazil. Maranhão: Balsas, two females on soybean ( Glycine max ) flowers, 18.i.2010; São Luís, one female on groundnut ( Arachis hypogeae ) flowers, 22.vii.2011; São Raimundo das Mangabeiras, two females on soybean flowers, 19.i.2011; Tasso Fragoso, four females on soybean flowers, 20.i.2011. (E.F.B. Lima) (ESALQ). Minas Gerais: Belo Horizonte (Pampulha), one female on Caesalpinia pulcherrima , one female on Calendula officinalis , two females on Kniphofia uvaria , one male on Medicago sativa , one female on Oeriothera bienis, one female on Pereskia sp., one female on Tropaeolum majus , 25.ix.2003 (E.A.Miyiasato) (ANIC). Piauí: Teresina, two females on Bahuinia sp. flowers, one female on Macroptylium lathyroides flowers, 29.vii.2010, one female on Mimosa caesalpinifolia flowers, two females on Mimosa verrucosa flowers, four females on Caesalpinia gardneriana , flowers, nine females on Cajanus cajan flowers, 29.vii.2010, one female on Cratylia argentea flowers, 28 females on Dioclea sp. flowers, 9.vii.2010, 45 females on Lima bean ( Phaseolus lunatus ) flowers, 3.vii.2011, 22 females on leaves and flowers of Cowpea ( Vigna unguiculata ), 24.x.2007 (E.F.B. Lima) (ESALQ). Pernambuco: Petrolina, two females on grape ( Vitis vinifera ) flowers, 8.ii.1996 (Albert) (ESALQ). Tocantins: Gurupi, one male from watermelon (Citrulus lanatus) flowers, xi.2014, Porto, one female from same host and date, Formoso, one female from same host and date (A.P. Queiroz) (CHNUFPI).

Comments. This species is widespread in the United States, from Canada to Mexico, and it causes damage to several cultivated plants (Hoddle et al. 2012). Although in North America it occurs in dark and pale forms, in Brazil only pale forms have been collected. These specimens usually do not bear vestigial ctenidia on abdominal tergite IV and have pale antennal segment II and shorter pronotal setae, in comparison with pale specimens from Illinois, Georgia and Florida (in ANIC), that always have antennal segment II brown and vestigial ctenidia on tergite IV. F. tritici is widespread in the tropical area of Brazil between Maranhão and Minas Gerais, including Tocantins, Piau and Pernambuco, where it seems to be highly polyphagous. Although recorded in 1949 in Rio Grande do Sul ( Biezanko et al. 1949), this was possibly a misidentification ( Cavalleri & Mound 2012), and the first voucher specimens of tritici in Brazil date from the 1990’s (see material examined). In the Caribbean Islands, a very similar species, F. cephalica , is more common, but can be distinguished from F. tritici by its sharp-edged ring pedicel on antennal segment III and antennal segment II dorsum produced over that structure. Given the proximity of northern Brazil to Central America, it is also likely that F. cephalica is present in this country.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 13. Frankliniella species. Body 1 – 6: (1) bambusae (female); (2) caseariae (female); (3) caseariae (male); (4) catharinensis (female); (5) catharinensis (male); (6) piauhyensis (female). Antenna 7 – 10: (7) bambusae; (8) caseariae; (9) catharinensis; (10) piauhyensis. Antennal segments I – IV 11 – 13: (11) borinquen; (12) parvula; (13) tritici.

FIGURES 14 – 24. Frankliniella species. (14) Head and pronotum of caseariae (male). Head 15 – 19: (15) bambusae; (16) catharinensis; (17) parvula; (18) piauhyensis; (19) tritici. Pronotum 20 – 23: (20) bambusae; (21) catharinensis; (22) piauhyensis; (23) tritici. (24) Fore wing of catharinensis.

FIGURES 25 – 36. Frankliniella species. Meso- and metanotum 25 – 29: (25) bambusae; (26) caseariae; (27) catharinensis; (28) parvula; (29) piauhyensis. (30) Tergites VII – X of bambusae. Tergite VIII 31 – 36: (31) caseariae (female); (32) caseariae (male); (33) catharinensis; (34) parvula; (35) piauhyensis; (36) tritici.