Frankliniella desmodii Mound and Marullo

Skarlinsky Ii, Thomas L., 2024, The identification of the flower thrips, Frankliniella Karny (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) intercepted at U. S. ports of entry, Insecta Mundi 2024 (39), pp. 1-64 : 33

Frankliniella desmodii Mound and Marullo ( Fig. 10A, 26)

Diagnosis. Frankliniella desmodii belongs to a cohort of species characterized by having a long buccal cone and is similar to Frankliniella rostrata* Preisner and Frankliniella lantanae* Mound, Nakahara, and Day.

Distinguishing features. Color. Body, forewings, legs pale. Usually, the abdominal tergites have dark anteroangular blotches ( Fig. 26A). Pigmented ventral eye facets with the 1-1-2 pattern. Structure. The antennal segment VIII of F.desmodii is approximately 4 times longer than its width. Head with an elongate mouth cone, longer than the width of the head ( Fig. 10A), usually without the PO1 setae, OC3 setae in position 2A ( Fig. 26B). Pronotum usually with 4 mAM setae ( Fig. 26B). Upper surface of the hind coxae with microtrichia ( Fig. 26C). Abdominal tergite VIII posteromarginal comb complete, microtrichia 10–14 µm ( Fig. 26D).

Interception frequency. Rare.

Region(s) of interceptions. North America.

Comments. Mound and Marullo (1996) reported F. desmodii was found on the leaves of Desmodium intortum and not the flowers.