Microcephalothrips Abdominalis Research Articles

Invasive flower thrips, Thrips parvispinus (Karny) occurrence, host expansion and genetic diversification in a tropical poly-crop ecosystem.

Invasive black flower thrips Thrips parvispinus (Karny) has recently emerged as a significant threat to Indian chilli production. Identifying T. parvispinus became difficult due to the complex presence of thrips species in Indian chilli and allied ecosystems. Pest management success depends on assessing invasive pests genetic populations and their distribution in newly habituated areas. The current study investigated the genetic diversity and phylogeographic structure of T. parvispinus across major chilli-growing zones representing different agro-climatic conditions in Tamil Nadu. The species-specific chaetotaxy characteristics of T. parvispinus and molecular analysis of the mtCOI gene were used to confirm that the species T. parvispinus has expanded rapidly in three regions (North Western, Western and Cauvery delta), sparsely in one (Southern) and absent from two (hilly and high rainfall). Fifteen allied crops in chilli/capsicum growing tracts served as host plants for T. parvispinus. A shrub species, namely Littleleaf boxwood, Buxus microphylla Siebold & Zucc., is described as a host plant for the first time. On capsicum and chilli, T. parvispinus and Scirtothrips dorsalis coexisted. Thrips palmi, T. tabaci, Frankliniella schultzei, and Microcephalothrips abdominalis co-occurring alongside T. parvispinus on allied crops. Molecular characterization and haplotype identification help define the genetic composition of T. parvispinus and serve as a foundation for efficient monitoring and creation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies. As a result, the genetic data presented in this work strongly argues that T. parvispinus as a population is resolving itself towards a fixed state through natural selection that spans its native range globally along with low genetic diversity [Hd: 0.771].

Pest categorisation of Capsicum chlorosis virus.

The EFSA Panel on Plant Health conducted a pest categorisation of Capsicum chlorosis virus (CaCV) for the EU territory. The identity of CaCV, a member of the genus Orthotospovirus (family Tospoviridae), is established and reliable detection and identification methods are available. The pathogen is not included in the EU Commission Implementing Regulation 2019/2072. CaCV has been reported in Australia, China, India, Iran, Taiwan, Thailand and USA (Hawaii). In the EU, it has been reported once in Greece (Crete Island). The NPPO of Greece reported that CaCV is no longer present in Greece. CaCV infects plant species in the family Solanaceae (i.e. pepper, tomato) and several species of other families, including ornamentals. It may induce severe symptoms on its hosts, mainly on leaves and fruits, which may become unmarketable. The virus is transmitted in a persistent propagative mode by the thrips Ceratothripoides claratris, Frankliniella schultzei, Microcephalothrips abdominalis and Thrips palmi. C. claratris and T. palmi are EU quarantine pests. M. abdominalis is known to be present in several EU member states and it is not regulated in the EU. Plants for planting, parts of plants, fruits and cut flowers of CaCV hosts, and viruliferous thrips were identified as the most relevant pathways for the entry of CaCV into the EU. Cultivated and wild hosts of CaCV are distributed across the EU. Should the pest enter and establish in the EU territory, impact on the production of cultivated hosts is expected. Phytosanitary measures are available to prevent entry and spread of the virus in the EU. CaCV fulfils the criteria that are within the remit of EFSA to assess for it to be regarded as a potential Union quarantine pest.

Diversidad alfa y beta de thrips (Thysanoptera) y agentes de control biológico en flores de crisantemo (Chrysanthemum sp.) de dos ecoregiones en la provincia de Jujuy, Argentina

The objectives of this study are to identify thrips and their biological controllers, to analyze their abundance in three flower opening stages stages of chrysanthemum crops, and to determine alpha and beta diversity in two ecoregions of Jujuy province (Argentina). The study was carried out in the Chaco ecoregion (ECH) in October and November 2016, and in the Prepuna ecoregion (EP) in February and March 2018. On each date, six replicates of five flowers were excised in the stages: flower bud , semi-open flower and open flower. Diversity profiles and rank-abundance curves were built, and Jaccard's coefficient of similarity was applied. The diversity profiles showed significant differences in thrips communities. In the ECH, 15 thrips species were identified; the dominant and permanent species were Microcephalothrips abdominalis (Crawford) and Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande). Five species were recorded in the EP, although Frankliniella gemina Bagnall and Thrips tabaci Lindeman on their own represented 78% of the total abundance. In the ECH, 20 entomophagous species/morphospecies were recognized, and 19 in the EP; antocorids were dominant in both ecoregions. The thrips and the entomophagous communities of chrysanthemum flowers were different (34%) between the ecoregions studied.

Analysis of thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) diversity in avocado shows the presence of a new species and limitations of using the COI gene for differentiation of two species

Thrips are important pests of avocados causing damage to the fruits, making themunsuitable for exportation. Many of them are quarantine species and their identification isnecessary. Despite their importance, not many studies describe thrips diversity on avocado,especially in Colombia, partly because identification of some of the species is difficult usingclassical taxonomic keys. In this study, 93 adult thrips specimens were collected on avocadoand adventitious dandelion plants from plantations in the department of Antioquia, Colombia. Morphological characters were used to classify 62 of them and all of them were analyzed by PCR amplification and sequencing of cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. The species identified by morphological features were Frankliniella gardeniae Moulton, F. gossypiana Hood, F. panamensis Hood, Liothrips perseae Watson, Thrips palmi Karny, T. simplex (Morison), T. trehernei Priesner, Microcephalothrips abdominalis (Crawford DL), and Scirtothrips hansoni Mound & Hoddle (Tubulifera), being F. panamensis, M. abdominalis, and S. hansoni reported for the first time on avocado in Colombia. Thrips simplex and T. trehernei were also found on adventitious dandelion plants, but not on avocado. Phylogenetic analysis of COI and ITS sequences showed that most species, except for F. gardeniae and F. gossypiana were mainly identified with the COI gene. Furthermore, FST values obtained between them suggest no genetic differentiation at COI level. The results obtained here contribute to the knowledge of the diversity of thrips species found on the avocado crop in Colombia and are meaningful for pest management.

Did climate change induce infiltration of composite thrips Microcephalothrips abdominalis sexual populations in Central Europe?

Alien and invasive thrips (Thysanoptera) species from tropical and subtropical regions are spread into temperate countries by human activities and by shifting their natural range as a result of global climate change. The presence of glasshouses with suitable host plants may contribute to the survival of these species and provide overwintering sites necessary for establishment of outdoor populations. Sampling the first male of Microcephalothrips abdominalis in Slovakia has given the reason to discuss on climate change induced infiltration of this alien species in Central Europe and consider its possible reproduction mechanisms as well as colonization strategies.

An updated checklist of thrips from Slovakia with emphasis on economic species

Almost sixty years after the first published plea for more systematic research on thrips in Slovakia, the checklist undisputedly requires an appropriate revision with a special emphasis on the economic consequences of climate change and biological commodity trade globalisation synergic effects, followed by the dynamic and significant changes in the native biodiversity due to alien species introduction. The updated checklist contains 189 species ecorded from the area of Slovakia, from three families: Aeolothripidae Uzel, 1895 (15 species), Thripidae Stephens, 1829 (113 species) and Phlaeothripidae Uzel, 1895 (61 species), including 7 beneficiary and 35 economic pest elements, such as one A2 EPPO quarantine pest (Frankliniella occidentalis) and five potential transmitters of tospoviruses (F. occidentalis, F. intonsa, F. fusca, Thrips tabaci, Dictyothrips betae). Several species (e.g., Hercinothrips femoralis, Microcephalothrips abdominalis, F. occidentalis, T. flavus, T. tabaci, Limothrips cerealium, L. denticornis, etc.) may possess a heavy introduction and invasion potential with well-developed mechanisms for successful dispersion.

Composite thrips, microcephalothrips abdominalis (Crawford, 1910) (Insecta: Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

Microcephalothrips abdominalis (Crawford 1910) (Figure 1) belongs to the order Thysanoptera and the family Thripidae with members commonly known as thrips. Thrips are small, slender-bodied insects with fringed wings, inhabiting diverse ecological niches. Thrips are often cryptic in nature. Microcephalothrips abdominalis prefers to feed on plants in the composite family and therefore is commonly known as composite thrips. Flowers of this family are generally composed of a disk with a ray of petals extending at the rim of the disk. Some flower heads are composed only of a disk or a ray and could be in clusters in some species.https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1232

Composite thrips, Microcephalothrips abdominalis, a new alien species for Bulgarian fauna

Microcephalothrips abdominalis (Crawford, 1910) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) has been reported as a new alien species for Bulgarian fauna. The composite thrips were recorded during complex research on Thysanoptera diversity in the southwestern part of Bulgaria, with a special emphasis on the locality of the Petrich region. The thrips specimens, especially the adult females were collected on the 18<sup>th</sup> of May 2004, but the material was slide-mounted and identified in 2019. The species was found on Calendula officinalis Linnaeus only and has since become established outdoors. M. abdominalis could be a potential threat for this region of Bulgaria, especially in glasshouses with an ability to transmit economically important viruses such as Tobacco Streak Virus (TSV).

Natural host range and thrips transmission of capsicum chlorosis virus in Australia

The orthotospovirus, capscium chlorosis virus (CaCV) was shown to be common and widespread in the weed host Ageratum conyzoides in eastern coastal regions of Queensland, Australia with up to 92% of plants infected. This is the first report of A. conyzoides being an important host of CaCV in Australia. CaCV was also found as natural infections of Arachis hypogaea (peanut), Ananas comosus (pineapple), Sonchus oleraceus, Tagetes minuta and Emilia sonchifolia. This is the first report of CaCV infecting pineapple and being associated with severe disease symptoms. Thrips palmi, Frankliniella schultzei and Microcephalothrips abdominalis were shown to transmit CaCV while no transmission was achieved using F. occidentalis.

Thrips species (Insecta: Thysanoptera) associated with flowers in a restinga fragment in northeastern Brazil.

With the growing volume of research involving Thysanoptera in Brazil, studies were carried out to improve our understanding of the diversity of thrips in areas where the fauna has historically been neglected. Accordingly, we recorded the diversity of thrips (Insecta: Thysanoptera) associated with a restinga fragment located on the campus of the State University of Ceará (UECE), Fortaleza, Ceará state, and computed the estimated richness and diversity indices. Samples were collected from 2011 through 2013 from flowers of 86 plant species. The material was taken to the Laboratory of Insect-Plant Interaction, where thrips were screened under stereomicroscope. We collected 456 adults and 58 immatures, representing 14 species, in addition to one unidentified species of Treherniella. Microcephalothrips abdominalis was found on a large number of host plants, and Frankliniella insularis was the most common species. About two-thirds of the total richness of thrips species was associated with three plant families (Amaranthaceae, Caesalpiniaceae and Poaceae); six thrips species were each associated with only one plant species. The richness of the species collected was close to that estimated by Bootstrap and Jackknife 1 analysis. The Shannon-Wiener (H') and Simpson (D) diversity indexes were 1,7607 and 0.7769, respectively. Although the species are common, 46 new associations between plant species and thrips were established, 13 of which are true host associations, which demonstrates the importance of coastal vegetation in maintaining populations of thrips.

Species and Abundance of Thrips Associated with Flowers ofMoringa oleiferain Southeastern Mexico

Moringa oleifera Lam. is a plant with nutraceutical and industrial value, and its seeds can be used to make biodiesel. In recent years, cultivation began in different regions of Mexico, from which reports on pests have increased. The objective of this work was to identify and determine abundance of thrips species associated with moringa flowers in a plantation in southeastern Mexico. Eight species of phytophagous thrips identified were Frankliniella cephalica (Crawford), F. insularis (Franklin), F. invasor Sakimura, F. gardeniae Moulton, F. parvula Hood, F. bruneri Watson, F. williamsi, and Microcephalothrips abdominalis (Crawford). A species of predatory thrips identified as Karnyothrips texensis (Hood) also was found. During the 1st year of sampling, the most abundant species of thrips was F. cephalica, while during the 2nd year it was F. insularis.

Pollination ecology of Synedrella nodiflora (l.) Gaertn. (Asteraceae)

Synedrella nodiflora (L.) Gaertn grows almost throughout the year if the soil is damp. It produces heterogamous capitula with female ray florets anthesing first day and bisexual disc florets anthesing on the next three consecutive days. Disc florets are dichogamous, herkogamous, self-compatible, self-pollinating (vector-mediated) and display secondary pollen presentation through an intermediate form of brush mechanism. Ray and disc florets exhibit facultative xenogamy. Butterflies are principal pollinators while bees, wasps and flies are supplementary pollinators. Thrips, Microcephalothrips abdominalis uses the florets as breeding and feeding sites; the feeding activity effects pollination. The ray and disc florets produce cypselas; the cypselas produced by ray florets are heavier, elliptical, membranous with upwardly-pointing teeth along the margins and 2 short terminal awns while those produced by disc floret are lighter, cylindrical and tangentially compressed with 2 or 3 stiff terminal divaricate awns. Seed dispersal is polychorous and represented by anemochory, anthropochory, zoochory and ombrohydrochory. Cypselas of ray florets disperse to short distances and germinate germinate under specific germination conditions either at parental sites or in similar habitats while those of disc florets disperse farther away from parental sites and germinate readily under a wide range of conditions. Therefore, bimorphic cypselas with different germination abilities enable the plant to grow as a widespread weed but not as an invasive weed.

Thrips and their natural enemies in different ornamental plants of Himachal Pradesh

During a survey conducted in different ornamentals under mid-hill conditions of Himachal Pradesh, twenty six species of thrips viz. Thrips spp. (two different species), T. tabaci Lindeman, T. flavus Schrank, T. flavidulus Bagnall, T. carthami Shumsher Singh, T. palmi Karny, T. kodaikanalensis Ananthakrishnan and Jagadish, T. simplex Morison, T. hawaiiensis Morgan, T. setosus Moulton, T. andrewsi Bagnall, T. florum Schmutz, T. himalyanus Pelikan, Taeniothrips sp., Microcephalothrips abdominalis Crawford DL, Frankliniella sulphurea Trybom, Neohydatothrips samayanku r Kudo, Megalurothrips sp., Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood, Scolothrips sexmaculatus Pergande, Aeolothrips spp. and A. indicus Bhatti, Haplothrips? tenuipennis, Haplothrips tenuipennis Bagnall and H.clarisetis Priesner were reported. Out of these, Thrips tabaci and Thrips flavus dominated all species by contributing 10 and 18.33 per cent, respectively. Among natural enemies Orius sp., Coccinella septempunctata, Hipodamia variegata, Oenopia Kirby, Amblysieus sp, Euseius sp and spiders (unidentified) were found. The results of this study update the list of thrips and their associated natural enemies in the state. It paves new ways for the researchers for future studies on the thrips and their impact as the vectors of diseases and assessment of predatory potential of different predatory species of thrips and natural enemies can be exploited for the management of pest species.

The most northern record of the alien composite thrips Microcephalothrips abdominalis in Europe - short communication

The most northern record of Microcephalothrips abdominalis (Crawford, 1910) (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) in Europe and the first record in Slovakia was described. The climate change induced introduction in synergy with biological commodity trade globalisation may support the ability of exotic elements to establish adequate populations with suitable fitness. The main threat consists in at least temporary survival in mild climate ecosystems dispersing from artificially heated interiors with the potential to transmit economically important viruses, such as Tobacco streak virus.

MICROCEPHALOTHRIPS ABDOMINALIS (THYSANOPTERA: THRIPIDAE) DISCOVERED IN SOUTHERN FRANCE

ISHS International Symposium on Advanced Technologies and Management Towards Sustainable Greenhouse Ecosystems: Greensys2011 MICROCEPHALOTHRIPS ABDOMINALIS (THYSANOPTERA: THRIPIDAE) DISCOVERED IN SOUTHERN FRANCE

Structure and Composition of a Thrips Community in the Chihuahua Desert, New Mexico, U.S.

We examined plant used versus plant availability by a thysanopteran community on 13 woody and perennial native plants in the Chihuahua Desert. Individual plants were sampled with sticky-traps on 8 dates from May 1997 to August 1998. We sampled 5,040 adult thrips from 26 species in 19 genera, of which 16 could be identified to species. Four families were represented, Thripidae (17 species comprised 98.2 % of the collected specimens), Phlaeothripidae (5 species comprised 1.6%), Aeolothripidae (2 species comprised 0.1%) and Heterothripidae (1 species comprised 0.1%). A total of 16 species (84.2%) were phytophagous on flowers and leaves, 2 (10.5%) were predators, one (5.2%) was mycophagous. Feeding habits for 7 species are unknown. Thrips abundance was positively correlated with plant volume, but not with insect richness. Strikingly for a natural area, Frankliniella occidentalis accounted for 73.6% of the total collection of the sampled thrips, which together with Chirothrips falsus, Microcephalothrips abdominalis, Frankliniella gossypiana, and Neohydatothrips signifier, comprised 94.0% of the total number of collected thrips. Main abundances, considering all thrips species, occurred in fall and spring; no thrips were collected during winter. This seasonal pattern of occurrence was observed for the most abundant thrips species. In summary, the results of this study were: 1) few thrips species were found to be specialists; only 2 thrips species out of 12 studied, showed strong preference for host plants, 2) presence of a high percentage of positive associations, and a low percentage of negative associations, 3) the role of plant volume explained more than 80% of variance of thrips abundance. These results suggest that the studied thrips community has low plant specificity and the pattern of plant use observed could be the consequence of generalist feeding diets.

Survey of thrips in Sri Lanka: A checklist of thrips species, their distribution and host plants

Thrips of Sri Lanka have been poorly studied despite their significance to agriculture and horticulture of the country. A survey of thrips and their host plants was conducted in several parts of Sri Lanka during 2005-2008, with a view to record the species present, their distribution, host plant relationships and damage caused. Over 1,000 plant species comprising crops, ornamental plants, weeds, shrubs, and trees were examined for thrips in 22 study sites, representing a range of habitats in nine districts covering 12 agrochemical regions of the country. Damage in plants due to thrips infestations was documented. This paper presents a list of 72 thrips species in 45 genera recorded during the survey from 324 host plant species in 83 plant families. Megalurothrips usitatus, Thrips palmi, and Haplothrips gowdeyi were the most widely distributed species. The grass infesting Haplothrips spp., several species of Thrips, Microcephalothrips abdominalis, M. usitatus and Scirtothrips dorsalis are some of the species with a large number of host records. Thrips simplex in particular was confined to the Upcountry Wet zone, while Thrips flavus was most widespread in this region and was present on almost all the vegetation. The survey identified 24 species of thrips represented in 20 genera that were not recorded previously from Sri Lanka. Majority of the thrips recorded are pest species, cosmopolitan in distribution. The most common damage due to thrips infestations was discolouration, scarring and browning of leaves and flowers, most pronounced in cut flowers. The survey updates the information on the Thysanoptera of Sri Lanka and highlights their importance in agriculture and floriculture. Key words: agriculture; floriculture; damage; pest species; new records DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/cjsbs.v40i2.3926 CJSBS 2011; 40(2): 89-108

A Contribution to Thrips-Plant Associations Records (Insecta: Thysanoptera) in Costa Rica and Central America

Thrips are small, cosmopolitan insects directly or indirectly associated with plants. Records of these associations in the neotropics add greatly to better understanding of Thysanoptera, not the least because some thrips species are economically important in agriculture and amenity plantings. In this paper we report new plant associations of Franklinothrips vespiformis (Crawford), Gastrothrips sp. Hood, Haplothrips gowdeyi Franklin, Leptothrips astutus Johansen, Leptothrips obesus Johansen, Liothrips spp. Uzel, Torvothrips martinezi Johansen, Arorathrips mexicanus Crawford, Caliothrips fasciapennis (Hinds), Caliothrips nanus (Hood), Caliothrips punctipennis (Hood), Echinothrips caribbeanus Hood, Echinothrips selaginellae Mound, Frankliniella cephalica Crawford, Frankliniella standleyana Hood, Hoodothripiella ignacio Retana-Salazar, Microcephalothrips abdominalis (Crawford) and Retanathrips silvestris (Hood). Some records of the presence of thrips species are new for Costa Rica and Central America.

Thysanoptera Inhabiting Native Terrestrial Orchids in Northern Florida and Southern Georgia

A survey was conducted to identify the thrips species associated with native terrestrial orchids in northern Florida. The above-ground plant structures were sampled when each species was flowering yielding adults of polyphagous species of the common flower thrips Frankliniella tritici (Fitch), Frankliniella fusca (Hinds), and Microcephalothrips abdominalis (Crawford). There is little indication that the orchids were reproductive hosts of these species. Other species of thrips that are more host-specific to orchids were collected and included adults of the orchid-living species Aurantothrips orchidaceus (Bagnall) and Pseudothrips beckhami Beshear and Howell. The presence of larvae of P. beckhami indicated the suitability of at least some orchid species as reproductive hosts. The adults of 2 predatory species in the Family Phlaeothripidae also were collected, Leptothrips mali(Fitch) and Karnyothrips melaleucus (Bagnall).

DEVELOPING AND EVALUATING TRAPS FOR MONITORING SCIRTOTHRIPS DORSALIS (THYSANOPTERA: THRIPIDAE)

Scirtothrips dorsalis (Hood) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is a recently identified invasive pest to the Caribbean and poses a significant threat to agriculture and trade in the region. Methods are needed to detect the presence and to monitor populations of this pest so that it can be effectively managed. Three different CC trap base colors (blue, yellow, and white) with or without dichlorvos as a killing agent, and a newly developed and named the Blue-D trap were studied in Taiwan and St. Vincent for attraction and capture of S. dorsalis. In lemons in Taiwan, mean numbers of S. dorsalis caught in Blue-D traps were greater compared with dichlorvos cube modified CC traps. In St. Vincent chili pepper plantings, the Blue-D traps caught more Thrips palmi (Karny), Frankliniella sp., and Microcephalothrips abdominalis (Crawford) than dichlorvos cube modified CC traps. More Frankliniella intonsa (Trybom), Megalurothrips usitatus (Bagnall), T. palmi, Frankliniella sp., and M. abdominalis were caught in blue and white base CC traps than yellow base CC traps. Average captures per CC trap per week were 0.07 and 0.02-0.09 S. dorsalis in Taiwan and St. Vincent, respectively. There were no differences in S. dorsalis captures in white, blue, or yellow base CC traps. The average weekly S. dorsalis catch for yellow sticky card traps was 19.8. CC traps can be used for detection of S. dorsali and collecting intact S. dorsalis for taxonomic and genetic determinations when a few of the species are found in a large commercial production area. Yellow sticky traps can be used for monitoring S. dorsalis populations. A combination detecting system of visual observation, yellow sticky traps, and CC traps may be an effective S. dorsalis population detecting and monitoring system.