Franklinothrips brunneicornis, Mound, Laurence A. & Reynaud, Philippe, 2005

Mound, Laurence A. & Reynaud, Philippe, 2005, Franklinothrips; a pantropical Thysanoptera genus of antmimicking obligate predators (Aeolothripidae), Zootaxa 864, pp. 1-16 : 10

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.170856
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6267721
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/A928BC58-FFEF-FFF5-FEF4-FEBDBD1D801F
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Franklinothrips brunneicornis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Franklinothrips brunneicornis View in CoL sp. n.

Holotype female: New Caledonia, Pic d’Amoa, N slopes (alt. 500 m.) in Malaise trap, 10– 14.xi.2001 (Burwell C & Monteith G); 20°58’S 165°17’E. Slide 8683 [ MNHM].

Paratype male: New Caledonia, NinguaRes. Camp (alt. 1100 m.) in Malaise trap, 13– 27.xi.2001 (Burwell C & Monteith G); 21°45’S 166°09’E. Slide 8636 [ MNHM].

Female: Body and legs including tarsi dark brown (several legs missing on holotype, see Fig. 5 View FIGURES 1 – 11 ); antennal segments I–IX brown; III and IV with a basal ring paler (Fig. 30). Forewing dark, without transverse pale area but with a pale costal area in basal half (Fig. 22).

Head longer than wide, not recessed into pronotum and strongly extended in front of eyes ( Fig. 18 View FIGURES 12 – 20 ); diameter of posterior ocelli three times that of fore ocellus; vertex with 4–5 pairs of postocular setae, median pair as long as posterior ocellus; maxillary palp II 3 times longer than III. Antennal segments III and IV with sensorium extending almost full length of segment. Transverse apodeme near pronotal posterior margin not visible in holotype; mesonotum with weak transverse striation; mesosternum entirely divided by furcal spinula. Forewing slender, clavus with 4–7 marginal setae. Abdominal tergite I narrow; tergal median setae small and wide apart; tergite IX twice length of VIII.

Measurements (holotype female in microns). Body length 2460. Head length 230; width 210; median postocular setae 30. Pronotum length 240; width 220. Forewing length 1320; median width 110. Antennal segments I–IX length: 45, 55, 225, 170, 80, 60, 50, 40, 20.

Male: Similar to female in colour and structure but paler and more slender. Tarsi and legs brown; head, abdomen and tergite I dark, tergites II to VI paler, VII to X gradually darker. Head prolonged in front of eyes, diameter of posterior ocelli twice that of fore ocellus ( Fig. 20 View FIGURES 12 – 20 ); antennae relatively longer than those of female (Fig. 29), segment III notably longer, sensorium extending entire length of III and IV; mesonotum with weak transverse striation on anterior half; posterior margin of tergite I with a short circular process above tergite II (Fig. 32). Setae S1 and S2 on tergite IX weakly developed, much shorter than those on X.

Measurements (paratype male in microns). Body length 2110. Head length 220; width 180; median postocular setae 20. Pronotum length 170; width 170. Forewing length 1200; median width 140. Antennal segments I–IX length: 40, 55, 280, 170, 100, 90, 70, 50, 15.

Comments: F. brunneicornis is one of the least antlike species of the genus. It is unique in the genus in having entirely dark antennae, and the forewing is distinctive in colour, without pale transverse bands. This species is close to F. bassetti in having the forewing largely shaded, and the head relatively long with the first ocellus reduced. The structure of the head and reduced fore ocellus approach that of Corynothripoides marginipennis , suggesting that this genus might well be considered synonymous with Franklinothrips .