Franklinothrips; a pantropical Thysanoptera genus of ant­mimicking obligate predators (Aeolothripidae) Author Mound, Laurence A. Author Reynaud, Philippe text Zootaxa 2005 864 1 16 journal article 10.5281/zenodo.170856 7c315efb-e525-4049-b3d9-17b80bd38b5a 1175­5326 170856 Franklinothrips vespiformis Crawford DL, 1909: 109 Details of the biology of this species are given by Araraki and Okajima (1998) , including the oviposition behaviour and the production of a silken pupation cocoon by the larvae. Although presumably native originally to Central America , females of this species have been found in many tropical countries. Specimens (BMNH, USNM) have been seen from: USA (Arizona, California, Texas, Florida), Bermuda , Puerto Rico , Cuba , Jamaica , St Vincent, Grenadines , Guadeloupe , Dominican Republic , Martinique , Barbados , Antigua , Trinidad , Mexico , Nicaragua , Honduras , Costa Rica , Panama , Colombia , Surinam , Venezuela , El Salvador , Brazil , Fiji , Japan , Thailand , New Caledonia , and Australia (Queensland). The Australian specimens were taken at Port Douglas in northern Queensland from lowgrowing weeds in an abandoned garden. This species ( Figs 16, 17 ) seems to prefer relatively low herbage, in contrast to the related species, F. orizabensis , that is usually associated with the leaves of trees. There are only two males labelled as F. vespiformis in the collections of USNM, Washington, and none in the BMNH, and a rearing programme involving this species at the Netherlands Plant Protection Department produced many females but only six males (pers comm. Bert Vierbergen, 2004). In contrast, males of F. tenuicornis , F. orizabensis and F. variegatus are commonly collected. The record of males of F. vespiformis in Brazil ( Moulton, 1932 ) requires confirmation as the species referred to may have been F. orizabensis .