| Common Species: | |
 |
Frankliniella fusca (Hinds) - tobacco thrips |
|
Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) - western flower thrips |
|
Frankliniella tritici (Fitch) - flower thrips |
|
Thrips palmi (Karny) - melon thrips |
|
Thrips tabaci - onion thrips |
| Common name: | |
|
thunderflies |
|
thunderbugs |
|
storm flies |
|
thunderblights |
|
storm bugs |
|
corn flies |
|
corn lice |
| Damaging stage: | |
|
Adults and larvae |
| Crops Affected: | |
|
Cucurbits, solanaceous, legumes, brassicas, cotton, tobacco |
| Characteristic Damage: | |
|
Leaves, flowers and fruits can be affected. |
|
Feeding causes upward curling of leaves, older leaves become silvery, speckled and distorted and may drop prematurely. |
|
Infested petals may exhibit color break or discoloration of tissues. |
|
Severely infested plants may become stunted. |
|
They are vectors of tospovirus (Watermelon silver mottle virus (WSMov), Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), Melon necrotic spot virus (MNSV), Melon yellow spot virus (MYSV), Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV). |
| Management and Control: | |
|
Monitor the area regularly. |
|
Prune heavily infested leaves and dispose properly. |
|
Remove weeds and volunteer plants that may serve as alternate hosts. |
|
Cultivate the soil by harrowing and plowing and use plastic mulch to repel the thrips and reduce pupation on the soil. |
|
Apply insecticides like like spinosad, fipronil and acephate, azadirachtin, dinotefuran, acetamiprid, pymetrozine when necessary. |
| References: | |
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrips | |
| http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7429.html | |
| Denoyes B., Bordat D, Bon Hde, Daly P. 1986. A new pest of vegetable crops in Martinnique: Thrip palmi (Karny).Agronomie Tropicale, 41(2): 167-169 | |
| Fedorov SM, 1930. Tobacco thrips (Thrips tabaci Lind.) as a pest of tobacco plant in Crimea.Eos, 6:229-248. | |
| Johnson M.W., 1986. Population trends of anewly introduced species, Thrips palmi (Thysonoptera: Thripidae), on commercial watermelon planting in Hawaii. Journal of Economic Entomology, 79(3): 718-720 | |
| Klein M. Franck A., Rimon D, 1986.Proliferation and branching of cotton seedling: The suspected cause-Thrips tabaci, the influence on yield , and test to reduce damage.Phytoparasitica, 14(1): 25-37 | |
| Lewis T (ed.), 1997. Thrips as Crop Pests.Wallingford, UK: CAB International. | |
| Nakahara S, 1994. The genus Thrips Linnaeus (Thysonoptera:Thripidae) of the New World. Technical Bulletin-United Stataes Department of Agriculture, no. 1822: vi + 183pp. | |
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