Frankliniella tritici Fitch 1855

tritici (Fitch, 1855)

(Fig. 154)

Described in the genus Thrips, this is a common insect in northern temperate areas, recorded in Canada, USA and Mexico. It was reported in 1930 from Argentina by Blanchard (according to De Santis et al. 1980), but this record needs confirmation. In Brazil tritici was recorded on wheat in Rio Grande do Sul (Biezanko et al. 1949) but this is possibly a misidentification of some other Frankliniella species. However, Lima (2011) recorded several yellow adults of this thrips on many unrelated plants in northeastern Brazil. This species is readily identified by the swollen pedicel of antennal segment III, and the sparse posteromarginal comb on abdominal tergite VIII, which is absent medially with only a few slender teeth laterally.