Abstract
First record of the thrips parasite Goetheana parvipennis (Gahan) (Eulophidae: Hymenoptera) from the Bahamas – Geotheana (=Dasyscapus) parvipennis (Gahan) (identification confirmed by Z. Boucek, Commonwealth Institute of Entomology), described from Java as a parasite of Thrips tabaci Lind., was introduced from West Africa into Trinidad for the control of Selenothrips rubrocinctus (Giard.) in 1935. From Trinidad it was sent to Grenada, Jamaica, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, continental USA, Hawaii and Canada for trial against the same or other thrips. Annecke (1962. South African J. Agric. Sci. 5: 273-9), on the basis of specimens from Venezuela where it had not been released, con- cluded it may have been present in the neotropics prior to the Trinidad introduction. However, it had not been found in Trinidad during extensive pre release collections but was later recovered from several of the release sites. It has had no regulatory effect on populations of its target host S. rubrocincutus on cocoa and cashew (Callan, E. Mc 1943. Bull. Ent. Res. 34: 313-21). On the other hand since its release in Jamaica it has been re-covered regularly as a parasite of this thrips on mango.