Recognition data

Distinguishing features

Female macropterous. Body, legs and antennae brown; antennal segments III–IV largely yellow, III with apical dark ring, IV weakly shaded in apical fifth; fore wing uniformly dark.

Head longer than wide, prolonged in front of eyes, not recessed into anterior margin of pronotum. Antennae 9-segmented, unusually elongate; III–IV with sensory area formed of irregular scallops extending to basal third of segment. Mesonotum without sculpture on anterior two-thirds, one pair of setae medially. Metanotum with no sculpture medially. Fore wing slender with apex rounded. Abdominal tergite I anterior margin not sharply constricted, tergites without sculpture; trichobothria on X minute; sternites IV–VII each with two pairs of marginal setae and two pairs of setae laterally on discal area.

Male not known.

Related and similar species

Currently 14 species are placed in the genus Franklinothrips, all from tropical and subtropical countries, although more undescribed species are known from Southeast Asia (Mound & Reynaud, 2005). Within this genus, F. bassetti appears to be the least well-developed ant-mimic. The base of the abdomen is not constricted to form a waist, and the forewings are uniformly dusky, not banded.

Distribution data

General distribution

Known only from Australia

Australian distribution

Known only from two females, collected in southeastern Queensland, Australia.

Biological data

Host plants

Known from two females collected from the canopy of rainforest trees.

Life history

Apparently arboreal, nothing further is known of this species.

Taxonomic data

Current valid name

Franklinothrips bassetti Mound & Marullo

Original name and synonyms

Franklinothrips bassetti Mound & Marullo, 1998