Franklinothrips brunneicornis Mound & Reynaud, 2005, sp. n.
Creators: name: Mound, Laurence A.
name: Reynaud, Philippe
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2005
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Thysanoptera
Aeolothripidae
Franklinothrips
Franklinothrips brunneicornis

description: Franklinothrips brunneicornis 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); 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); 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); 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.
description: Published as part of Mound, Laurence A. & Reynaud, Philippe, 2005, Franklinothrips; a pantropical Thysanoptera genus of ant­mimicking obligate predators (Aeolothripidae), pp. 1-16 in Zootaxa 864 on page 10, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.170856