Thrips (Thysanoptera) Species Associated with Developing Citrus Flowers in Florida and A Key to Adult Terebrantian Females

Abstract

Citrus groves in Florida were sampled during February and March 1991 to determine the occurrence, frequency and distribution of thrips including Thrips palmi Karny in open flowers of citrus. Frankliniella bispinosa (Morgan) was the dominant species accounting for 65% of identified specimens from St. Lucie, Palm Beach, Hendry, Lee and DeSoto counties. Frankliniella kelliae Sakimura was the second most abundant species comprising 34% of 2,067 slide-mounted specimens subsampled from collections. Frankliniella kelliae was found for the first time in St. Lucie and Indian River counties and this species was the most abundant thrips collected from citrus flowers in Indian River and Dade counties. Five species of thrips including Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), T. orientalis (Bagnall), T. palmi and Adraneothrips pallidus (Watson) were collected for the first time in February and March 1991 on citrus flowers along with F. insularis (Franklin) reported previously. A single adult female, T. palmi, was collected from a ‘Tahiti’ lime flower sample in Dade County. The predaceous thrips, Aleurodothrips fasciapennis (Franklin), was collected for the first time from flowers in a mixed block of citrus varieties in Dade County. A key to the species of adult female terebrantian thrips found on citrus flowers and floral buds in Florida is provided.