Pollen‐feeding and the host specificity and fecundity of flower thrips (Thysanoptera)

Abstract

Abstract. 1. Flower thrips could feed on pollen of a wide range of sizes and were unaffected by exine spines. One species of thrips was unable to feed on very adhesive grains.2. The proportion of time spent feeding on each species of pollen (in seconds per minute of exposure) reflected the known host specificities. Host‐specific thrips could distinguish their host pollen, apparently without probing.3. Kakothrips pisivorus (Westwood) appeared to have a higher rate of ingestion of a host pollen than of four non‐host pollens.4. In cages in the laboratory, Thrips fuscipennis Haliday laid significantly more eggs over 48h when given pollen than when given other floral tissues or no food. K. pisivonis and Ceratothrips ericae (Haliday) also laid significantly more eggs over 48h in the presence of pollen than in its absence.5. In comparisons between pollen diets, T. fuscipennis, a generalist, laid similar numbers of eggs with each species of pollen, but K. pisivorus and C. ericae laid significantly more eggs with their respective host pollens. The differences in oviposition rate between pollen diets reflected the differences in the proportion of time spent feeding.