scholarly journals Biological control of thrips pests (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) under greenhouse conditions in Transylvania, Romania

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-154 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Frankliniella Occidentalis ◽  
Plant Protection ◽  
Western Flower Thrips ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Vegetable Production ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
Greenhouse Climate ◽  
Flower Thrips ◽  
Beneficial Organisms

In present, vegetable cultivation faces significant challenges for two reasons: (i) cultivators have to produce healthy, first-class goods, and (ii) vegetables are allowed to contain only a specified pesticide residue. Development of insecticide resistance as a result of repeated insecticide treatments is causing difficulties to cultivators, who have paid attention to biological control methods over recent years. In Romania, pepper sprouting represents a prominent place in greenhouse vegetable production. Under greenhouse conditions, one of the most dangerous pests of peppers is the western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis), which can trigger high economic losses. In recent years, several populations have been found resistant to insecticides and other active compounds, therefore, in our experiments, performed under greenhouse conditions, we used the predatory mite Amblyseius swirskii and the pirate bug Orius laevigatus against the western flower thrips. In addition to thrips, we monitored the growth and spread of introduced beneficial organisms based on collected flower samples. We also evaluated the relationships between beneficial organisms and greenhouse climate data. Introduction of natural enemies has proven a success of biological plant protection, as thrips did not cause economic losses in our experiment.

scholarly journals Effects of Spray Volume and Application Frequency on Insecticide Efficacy Against Adult Western Flower Thrips (Frankliniella Occidentalis) under Greenhouse Conditions

HortScience ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (10) ◽  
pp. 1708-1714
Author(s):  
Devin L. Radosevich ◽  
Raymond A. Cloyd ◽  
Nathan J. Herrick
Keyword(s):  
Frankliniella Occidentalis ◽  
Insect Pest ◽  
Western Flower Thrips ◽  
Economic Losses ◽  
Horticultural Crops ◽  
Flower Thrips ◽  
Insecticide Efficacy ◽  
Percent Mortality ◽  
Application Frequency ◽  
Spray Volume

The western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), is a major insect pest of greenhouse-grown horticultural crops. Western flower thrips causes direct and indirect damage by feeding on plant leaves, flowers, and fruits, and by transmitting viruses that can result in greenhouse producers experiencing substantial economic losses. Consequently, insecticides are used to suppress western flower thrips populations. However, issues associated with applying insecticides may affect the suppression of western flower thrips populations. Therefore, experiments were conducted under greenhouse conditions to determine the effects of the spray volume applied and application frequency on insecticide efficacy against western flower thrips adults located in transvaal daisy, Gerbera jamesonii, cut flowers. Four spray volumes (5.0, 10.0, 12.5, and 25.0 mL), two application frequencies (one or two spray applications), and three insecticides [spinosad (Conserve), chlorfenapyr (Pylon), and flonicamid (Aria)], each with a different mode of action, were tested. The insecticide treatments had the greatest effects on the mean percent mortality of western flower thrips adults regardless of spray volume or application frequency. However, in Expt. 3, the 5.0- and 10.0-mL spray volumes resulted in a higher mean percent mortality of western flower thrips adults than the 2.5-mL spray volume. Spinosad and chlorfenapyr resulted in a mean percent mortality of more than 72% for western flower thrips adults, whereas flonicamid resulted in mean percent mortality between 40% and 91%. Our study demonstrates that certain insecticides are more effective against western flower thrips adults located in transvaal daisy flowers than others, which will help greenhouse producers effectively manage western flower thrips populations.

scholarly journals Anthocoris nemorum (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae) as predator of cabbage pests – voracity and prey preference

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Louise Rugholm Simonsen ◽  
Annie Enkegaard ◽  
Camilla Nordborg Bang ◽  
Lene Sigsgaard
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Plutella Xylostella ◽  
Frankliniella Occidentalis ◽  
Diamondback Moth ◽  
Western Flower Thrips ◽  
Potential Candidate ◽  
Model Species ◽  
Flower Thrips ◽  
Cabbage Pests ◽  
Cabbage Aphids

Laboratory experimentswere performed with adult female Anthocoris nemorum (Linnaeus) (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae) at 20°C ± 1°C, L16:D8, 60–70% RH to determine voracity and preference on cabbage aphids (Brevicoryne brassicae L.) (Hemiptera: Aphididae), diamondback moth larvae (Plutella xylostella L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) and Western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) (model species for cabbage thrips (Thrips angusticeps Uzel) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)). When offered individually, A. nemorum readily accepted all three species with no significant differences in consumption. When aphids and moth larvae were offered simultaneously, A. nemorum showed preference for the latter (numbers eaten and biomass consumed). When aphids and thrips were offered together, A. nemorum preferred thrips in terms of numbers eaten but preferred aphids in terms of biomass consumed. The results showed that A. nemorum is a voracious predator of B. brassicae, P. xylostella and F. occidentalis and can therefore be considered as a potential candidate for biological control in cabbage.

BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF FUNGUS GNATS, BRADYSIA SPP. (DIPTERA: SCIARIDAE), AND WESTERN FLOWER THRIPS, FRANKLINIELLA OCCIDENTALS (PERGANDE) (THYSANOPTERA: THRIPIDAE), IN GREENHOUSES USING A SOIL-DWELLING PREDATORY MITE, GEOLAELAPS SP. NR. ACULEIFER (CANESTRINI) (ACARI: LAELAPIDAE)

1990 ◽  
Vol 122 (5) ◽  
pp. 975-983 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Gillespie ◽  
Donald M.J. Quiring
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Frankliniella Occidentalis ◽  
Western Flower Thrips ◽  
Predatory Mite ◽  
Flower Thrips ◽  
Fungus Gnats ◽  
Fungus Gnat ◽  
Greenhouse Cucumber ◽  
Crop Cycle ◽  
Hydroponically Grown

AbstractA soil-dwelling predatory mite, Geolaelaps sp. nr. aculeifer (Canestrini), introduced inundatively at a rate of 6000 mites per plant to the sawdust substrate of hydroponically grown, greenhouse cucumbers significantly reduced numbers of fungus gnat, Bradysia spp., larvae and adults over a 10-week period. Inundative introductions of 1600 mites per plant reduced emergence of western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), adults to about 30% of that in the controls over a 40-day trial. An inoculative introduction of 125 mites per plant to cucumber plants in selected rows in a commercial greenhouse reduced peak fungus gnat numbers to about 20% of those in untreated rows. These results suggest that a single inoculative introduction of Geolaelaps sp. nr. aculeifer, early in the crop cycle, would maintain control of fungus gnat populations in greenhouse cucumber crops at an acceptable level. This predator would also contribute to biological control of western flower thrips by reducing emergence of adults.

scholarly journals Wavelength-Specific Behavior of the Western Flower Thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis): Evidence for a Blue-Green Chromatic Mechanism

Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 423
Author(s):  
Niklas Stukenberg ◽  
Markus Pietruska ◽  
Axel Waldherr ◽  
Rainer Meyhöfer
Keyword(s):  
Frankliniella Occidentalis ◽  
Plant Protection ◽  
Leaf Tissue ◽  
Western Flower Thrips ◽  
Visible Spectral Range ◽  
Floral Resources ◽  
Mass Trapping ◽  
Monitoring And Control ◽  
Color Preferences ◽  
Flower Thrips

The western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) is a serious pest in horticulture, feeding on leaf tissue and floral resources. Blue and yellow sticky traps are commonly used for monitoring and control in greenhouses. The mechanisms underlying the color preferences are largely unknown. The use of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) is a promising approach to increase the attractiveness of visual traps and to study the color choice behavior in insects. The color preferences of F. occidentalis were systematically investigated in a series of choice experiments with several LEDs from the ultraviolet (UV) and visible spectral range. Blue LEDs were most attractive, followed by green, while only a moderate attractiveness of UV was observed. Blue and green were identified as two separate attractive ranges. When light from blue and green LEDs was mixed, the attractiveness decreased compared to its single components. In conclusion, F. occidentalis exhibits two different wavelength specific behaviors towards blue and green. Compelling indications are provided that these behaviors are controlled by two photoreceptors maximally sensitive in the blue and green range with an inhibitory chromatic interaction between both. Since the known UV sensitive photoreceptor could be confirmed, a trichromatic photoreceptor setup is suggested for F. occidentalis. For advanced plant protection strategies, the results offer several opportunities to optimize monitoring or even develop mass trapping devices.

Frankliniella occidentalis (western flower thrips).

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stuart Reitz
Keyword(s):  
Plant Material ◽  
Frankliniella Occidentalis ◽  
Plant Protection ◽  
Western Flower Thrips ◽  
Agricultural Pests ◽  
Fruit Crops ◽  
Horticultural Crops ◽  
Flower Thrips ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
The World

Abstract Since the 1970s Frankliniella occidentalis has successfully invaded many countries to become one of the most important agricultural pests of ornamental, vegetable and fruit crops globally. Its invasiveness is largely attributed to the international movement of plant material and insecticide resistance, both of which have combined to foster the rapid spread of the species throughout the world (Kirk and Terry, 2003; Reitz et al., 2020). Individuals are very small and they reside in concealed places on plants; thus are easily hidden and hard to detect in transported plant material. They reproduce rapidly and are highly polyphagous, breeding on many horticultural crops that are transported around the world. F. occidentalis is species no. 177 on the list of A2 pests regulated as quarantine pests in the European Plant Protection Organisation (EPPO) region (version 2005-09). It has now reached many countries, and remains a serious threat to crops in those countries that it has not yet reached.

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