Frankliniella parvula Hood, 1925

(Figs 12, 17, 28, 34)

Body brown. Antennal segment III with elongated pedicel (Fig. 12). Ocellar setae III near external margins of ocellar triangle (Fig. 17). Pronotum with weak striation; five pairs of setae well developed. Metanotum with median setae long, almost reaching the posterior margin of metanotum; pair of campaniform sensilla present (Fig. 28). Fore wing brown. Abdominal tergite VIII with complete posteromarginal comb (Fig. 34). Male yellow with transverse pore plates on abdominal sternites III8 –VII.

Material Examined. Brazil. Amazonas: Manaus (Sítio Tucandeira 62 Km), four females and one male on Musa ornata, two females on Heliconia sp., 18.vii.2009 (E. Brito); Maranhão: São Luís (Parque Estadual do Itapiracó), one male on Davilla sp., 8.i.2017 (E.F.B.Lima) (CHNUFPI and ESALQ).

Comments. The unique pedicel on antennal segment III is the most reliable character for the identification of this species. It is reported from bananas in the Dominican Republic (Harrison 1963), Ecuador, Peru (Ortiz 1977), Costa Rica, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Haiti, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Grenada, Mexico, Colombia, Honduras (Sakimura 1986; Mound & Marullo 1996), Guadeloupe (Simon 1993) and Cuba (Vásquez & López 2001; Pérez et al. 2004). However, it is also recorded from the flowers of cocoa in Central America. Given the proximity of the state of Amazonas to the countries in which F. parvula has previously been recorded, collection of the species in this region of Brazil was expected. This thrips feeds and lays eggs on the small, developing fruits of banana, and as consequence low quality fruits are produced. The oviposition marks result in pimples found on almost every fruit cluster from Central America and the West Indies (Ostmark 1974), and feeding on the fruit skin causes small dark spots. Severe attacks make the skin rough and cracked, as well as causing a dry pulp (Yañez et al. 2004).