Frankliniella ameliae Hood (Fig. 11) Diagnosis. Frankliniella ameliae belongs to a group of congeners that are distinguished by having a cluster of enlarged ventral compound eye facets. These include Frankliniella salviae * Moulton, F. fulvipennis Moulton, and Frankliniella lorena * Mound and Marullo. Distinguishing features. Color. Body lightly shaded, abdominal tergites medially darker, forewings shaded, basally slightly paler, femora shaded, tibiae paler (Fig. 11A). Structure. Compound eyes with enlarged anteromarginal and ventral compound eye facets (Fig. 11B). Head with PO1 setae, OC3 setae in position 2B (Fig. 11C). Upper surface of the hind coxae with microtrichia. Abdominal tergite VIII posteromarginal comb complete, microtrichia 8–12 µm long. Interception frequency. Rare. Region(s) of interceptions. South America.

Published as part of Skarlinsky Ii, Thomas L., 2024, The identification of the flower thrips, Frankliniella Karny (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) intercepted at U. S. ports of entry, pp. 1-64 in Insecta Mundi 2024 (39) on page 16, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.11450706