Frankliniella

Karny, 1910

Species Guides

Frankliniella occidentalis(Western Flower Thrips)
Frankliniella tritici(eastern flower thrips)

Frankliniella is a of thrips in the Thripidae containing approximately 230 with distribution. The genus was established by Karny in 1910. Several species are significant agricultural pests, notably Frankliniella occidentalis (western flower thrips) and F. intonsa, which cause direct feeding damage and plant viruses including tomato spotted wilt virus. Species exhibit considerable morphological variability, complicating identification.

Frankliniella occidentalis by no rights reserved, uploaded by Jesse Rorabaugh. Used under a CC0 license.

Thrips tabaci by Alton N. Sparks, Jr., University of Georgia, Bugwood.org. Used under a CC BY 3.0 license.

Thrips tabaci, Frankliniella occidentalis by Alton N. Sparks, Jr., University of Georgia, Bugwood.org. Used under a CC BY 3.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Frankliniella: /fræŋkˌlɪnɪˈɛlə/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

-level identification within Frankliniella is challenging due to high morphological variability. Molecular methods such as of ITS1 rDNA fragments have been developed to distinguish economically important species including F. occidentalis, F. intonsa, F. pallida, and F. tenuicornis. These methods can identify single specimens at larval or stages.

Images

Habitat

Agricultural crops including lettuce, tomato, pepper, and cucurbits; also found on wild plants and flowering vegetation such as Echinacea .

Distribution

; occur on multiple continents including North America, Europe, Asia, Central and South America. Specific distribution records include Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Seasonality

Activity patterns vary by and climate; in temperate regions, increase through summer with multiple possible. At temperatures above 90°F, some species can complete a generation in less than two weeks.

Diet

Phytophagous; feeding includes plant tissues, pollen, and fluids extracted via . Pollen constitutes a major food source for flower-inhabiting .

Host Associations

tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) - pest for F. occidentalis and F. fusca; feeding damage and virus transmission
peanut (Arachis hypogaea) - pest for F. occidentalis and F. fusca
lettuce (Lactuca sativa) - pestMajor crop for western flower thrips
pepper (Capsicum spp.) - pestAffected by western flower thrips and tomato spotted wilt virus
cucurbits (Cucurbitaceae) - pest for F. intonsa and F. cephalica in Panama
cone flower (Echinacea spp.) - Supports of flower thrips and their

Life Cycle

Development includes , nymph, and stages without a pupal stage. Nymphs are typically translucent yellow and flightless; adults are winged and range from yellow to dark brown depending on . Multiple occur annually in favorable conditions.

Behavior

Settling on plants is modified by exposure; imidacloprid has been observed to increase settling of F. occidentalis on peanut while reducing settling of F. fusca on tomato. Ovipositional preference is influenced by host plant, temperature, and .

Ecological Role

Herbivore and plant virus ; prey for minute pirate bugs (Orius spp.) and other natural enemies. Some serve as food sources for predatory insects in flowering plant .

Human Relevance

Major agricultural pest causing billions of dollars in crop damage worldwide through direct feeding and virus transmission. Western flower thrips (F. occidentalis) is a globally of particular concern. Management relies heavily on , though resistance is documented; using Orius and spray technologies are active research areas.

Similar Taxa

Thrips palmiOverlaps in geographic range and cucurbit use; molecular methods required for reliable differentiation from Frankliniella

More Details

Notable species

Frankliniella occidentalis (western flower thrips): global pest native to western North America. Frankliniella intonsa: significant pest in Europe and Asia. Frankliniella fusca (tobacco thrips): important in southeastern U.S. agriculture.

Virus transmission

F. occidentalis is the principal of tomato spotted wilt virus ( Orthotospovirus), which infects over 1000 plant . Virus is transmitted in a circulative-propagative manner.

Research tools

Genomic resources have been developed for F. occidentalis, enabling studies of molecular interactions with plant viruses and identification of competence determinants.