Remarks. Native to Central America and the Caribbean where it is one of the most common flower-thrips, this species has been studied in tropical areas in China from Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan as well as Taiwan (Wang et al. 2010; Tong and Lv 2013). It has also been seen from Okinawa, Japan (Masumoto and Okajima 2004). Structurally it is unusual in that the base of the third antennal segment is strongly expanded into a sharp-edged ring (Fig. 10). In Central America this species is common in white flowers (Mound and Marullo 1996), but in China and Japan it seems to be particularly associated with the flowers of Bidens pilosa [Asteraceae] (Masumoto and Okajima 2004; Tong and Lv 2013). F. cephalica was reported as a tospovirus vector (Ohnishi et al. 2006), and the plant B. pilosa has been reported as a host of Tomato spotted wilt virus in China (Huang et al. 2016). Because of its vector ability, there is a high possibility of F. cephalica becoming a crop pest in China.

Remarks. This polyphagous flower thrips is widespread in the Old World and is also reported from northwestern America (Mound et al. 2019). It is one of the most common species in China, being widespread from Xinjiang to Taiwan, feeding and breeding in many different flowers. This species has been recorded as a tospovirus vector (Wijkamp et al. 1995), but its transmission efficiency was relatively low compared to F. occidentalis (Sakurai et al. 2004). It has been considered an important pest in China, Japan and Korea, involving hundreds of experiments but with limited evidence of yield reduction on crops. In Taiwan, this species was considered important in the international flower trade due to quarantine problems (Wang 2002). From our collection experience in the field, this species is possibly a significant pollinator.

Remarks. Described from Japan on specimens taken in quarantine on lily bulbs imported from China (Dalian and Shanghai) and Korea (Kurosawa 1937). There are no records of the species from China, including Taiwan, and only a few specimens are known from Japan. According to the original description, it is different in having short antennae and no posteromarginal comb but a few weak and irregular teeth laterally on tergite VIII. However, it is readily distinguished from other Frankliniella species by the anterior position of the mesonotal median setae, and the position of the metanotal median setae behind the anterior margin (Fig. 18).

Remarks. Originally from the western parts of North America, it is now widespread across temperate parts of the world (Kirk and Terry 2003). It causes extensive damage to many horticultural crops, both through direct feeding damage particularly in young buds, and also through vectoring tospoviruses, it has been referred to as the most studied thrips species (Reitz 2009). Although normally phytophagous, occidentalis is also known to function as a predator of spider mites on leaves (Trichilo and Leigh 1986). In China, it was first recorded as a major thrips pest of horticulture and ornamental plant production in glasshouses in Beijing (Zhang et al. 2003). The species has now been found in many provinces in China (Yang et al. 2012), mainly in provinces involved in the extensive flower trade (Lv et al. 2011), and a wide potential distribution across China was reported (Cheng et al. 2006). It is not usually found in lowland tropical areas with a high humidity, but it can live on plants grown in tropical montane areas. This species exhibits variation in body colour, with dark, light, and intermediate colour morphs reported (Bryan and Smith 1956). The dark forms can be particularly common in cooler montane areas and in winter in Yunnan (Shen et al. 2015), while populations associated with crops usually involve just the intermediate form (Fig. 11). A further problem with this species is that cryptic species have been found using molecular data, but these species lack supporting biological or morphological evidence (Rugman-Jones et al. 2010).

Remarks. Commonly known as the Tomato Thrips, this species has probably been transported by human trade in plants for many years. As a result, its country of origin remains unclear, and could have been either South America or Africa. A species from China, F. hainanensis (Zheng et al. 2009) might be a synonym of schultzei according to its original descriptions and illustrations, which was also indicated by Zhang et al. (2018). Recently, Shimeng Zhang helped examine the type specimens of hainanensis and confirmed that it is a new synonym of schultzei. A further species described from Taiwan, F. gossypii (Shiraki 1912), was recognised as a synonym of schultzei by Nakahara (1997). This tropical species is exceptional within the genus in having ocellar setae pair III arising close together within the ocellar triangle (Fig. 6) and tergite VIII with almost no posteromarginal comb (Fig. 15). As an important crop pest and vector of several tospovirus diseases (Riley et al. 2011), schultzei shares with occidentalis the remarkable ability to act as a predator of leaf mites (Wilson et al. 1996). The species is widespread in tropical and subtropical countries around the world, and has been found in southern China in Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, Fujian and Taiwan (Zheng et al. 2009; Wang et al. 2010; Xie et al. 2011), but molecular studies in Australia have suggested that a series of sibling species may be involved (Hereward et al. 2017).

Remarks. This is one of the few species of Frankliniella that breeds on grasses, including cereal crops, and is one of the main pests that feed on young leaves of Zea mays in northern China (Han et al. 1979; Zhang et al. 2014a, b). It occurs widely across the Holarctic (Mound et al. 2018), and in China is found mainly in the Palaearctic areas, based on our collecting experiences (and communication with Hongrui Zhang). Records from southern provinces of China (Han 1997) require further confirmation. As a large, dark brown species, it is distinctive in the genus for the projection of the head in front of the compound eyes (Fig. 2). Moreover, postocular setae pair IV are small, and the pronotal posteromarginal setae IV are longer than pairs III and V.

Remarks. This yellow species is closely associated with crops of Zea mays, on which it is reported to be a virus vector in addition to causing feeding damage to young leaves (O’Donnell and Mound 2016). It presumably originated in Central or South America in association with maize, although it has also been taken from other species of Poaceae. It is widespread in tropical areas around the world, and in China is reported from Hainan and Taiwan. In most parts of the world it is easy to recognise from other pale coloured Frankliniella species by the presence of one or two discal setae on the second abdominal sternite (Fig. 8).