Thrips (Thysanoptera) of Coffee Flowers

Abstract

Thrips (Thysanoptera) are opportunistic insects that exhibit a wide range of life histories. Most species are either fungivorous or phytophagous, while a few are predators. In coffee agroecosystems, the presence of these insects is noticeable, especially when coffee is flowering. The identity of thrips and the role they might be playing on coffee flowers is unknown. We conducted a survey of thrips in 30 commercial coffee plantations of Chiapas, Mexico, with the aim to investigate the species composition of thrips associated with coffee flowers and to determine whether they were carrying coffee pollen on their bodies. Thrips were collected at random in ~1 ha. Coffee branches were shaken against a plastic tray to separate insects from flowers. A total of 42 thrips species in 24 genera and five families were identified. The most common species were Karnyothrips merrilli Watson, Haplothrips gowdeyi (Franklin), Frankliniella difficilis Hood, Frankliniella gardeniae Moulton, Frankliniella insularis (Franklin), Frankliniella invasor Sakimura, Frankliniella parvula Hood, and Frankliniella varipes Moulton. Of these species, Karnyothrips merrilli is considered a predator of thrips and other small arthropods, while the other species are phytophagous. We assumed these thrips might be living on other plants and shift to coffee due to the abundance of pollen and nectar during the flowering season. Using microscopy, we examined the bodies of thrips caught in sticky traps. We found coffee pollen on the bodies of seven thrips species, and discuss the possibility of these thrips serving as coffee pollinators.