Thrips Species Research Articles

Influence of sticky trap color, host plant species, and weather factors on the population dynamics of thrips species in Southern Ghana.

It is essential to correctly identify and keep track of the abundance of thrips species on infested host crops to understand their population dynamics and implement control measures promptly. The current study was conducted to evaluate the performance of sticky traps in monitoring thrips species in exporters' eggplant and chili farms and to assess the impact of weather factors on thrips population dynamics. Thrips species were monitored using blue, yellow, and white sticky traps on chili and eggplant farms in Tuba, respectively, in 2020 and 2021. Each field was divided into 8 blocks, and in each replicate, all colors representing 3 treatments were randomly tied to stakes at the center of the respective crop. Data loggers were installed to record hourly weather variables. Three thrips species [Thrips parvispinus Karny (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), Franklinella schultzei Trybom (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), and Thrips tabaci Lindeman (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)] were identified from both farms and the different species showed varied attractiveness to trap color for both seasons, with white proving more attractive to T. parvispinus. The population dynamics of the species varied significantly with the season and weather but not with the crop. Optimum temperatures (28-31 °C) and relative humidity (60%-78%) showed a positive linear relationship between the trapped insects with temperature and RH, while extreme temperatures (35 °C) negatively affected their abundance. All sticky trap colors attracted several nontarget organisms; however, yellow colors had higher populations, including the predator, Orius insidiosus. White sticky traps are recommended for inclusion in the country-wide monitoring for thrips, especially T. parvispinus.

Virus-vectoring thrips regulate the excessive multiplication of tomato spotted wilt virus using their antiviral immune responses.

The tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is a member of the Tospoviridae family and has an negative/ambisense single-stranded RNA genome. Frankliniella occidentalis and F. intonsa are known to be dominant pests in Capsicum annuum (hot pepper) and can cause damage to the plant either directly by feeding, or indirectly by transmitting TSWV in a persistent and propagative manner, resulting in serious economic damage. This study compared the immune responses of two different thrips species against TSWV infection by transcriptome analysis, which then allowed the assessment of antiviral responses using RNA interference (RNAi). Both adult thrips shared about 90 % of the transcripts in non-viruliferous conditions. Most signal components of the immune pathways were shared by these two thrips species, and their expression levels fluctuated differentially in response to TSWV infection at early immature stages. The functional assays using RNAi treatments indicated that the Toll and JAK/STAT pathways were associated with the antiviral responses, but the IMD pathway was not. The upregulation of dorsal switch protein one supported its physiological role in recognizing TSWV infection and triggering the eicosanoid biosynthetic pathway, which mediates melanization and apoptosis in thrips. In addition, the signal components of the RNAi pathways fluctuated highly after TSWV infection. Individual RNAi treatments specific to the antiviral signalling and response components led to significant increases in the TSWV amount in the thrips, causing virus-induced mortality. These findings suggest that immune signalling pathways leading to antiviral responses are operating in the thrips to regulate TSWV litres to prevent a fatal viral overload. This study also indicates the differential antiviral responses between the TSWV-transmitting F. occidentalis and F. intonsa.

Integrated Approach for Screening Groundnut Genotypes and Unveiling Morphological and Biochemical Factors Associated with Resistance to Thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood

Thrips is an important sucking insect pest and are the major problem in the groundnut. The pressure from thrips is higher in the summer. One species of thrips i.e., Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood was reported in the present investigation. To minimize crop losses, it is important to efficiently manage thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood. Finding the source of resistance is one strategy to reduce yield losses. In the summers of 2020 and 2021, forty-four groundnut varieties were screened in the field to determine their resistance to thrips occurrence. Nineteen genotypes were chosen for additional research, including host preference and oviposition preference tests in greenhouse conditions and host plant resistance studies, based on preliminary screening studies conducted at the field level in 2020 and 2021. None of the genotypes were totally free from thrips damage. Nonetheless, three genotypes (Dh-256, RST-1-2020-12, and INS-1-2020-11) were classified as resistant. Ten genotypes were very vulnerable, 14 were susceptible, and 17 were somewhat resistant. The biochemical and morphological examination results showed that resistance against thrips was conferred by increased levels of phenols, tannins, trichome density, and leaf colour.

Exploring Aeolothrips spp. Diversity: A Morpho-Molecular Examination of Aeolothrips collaris and Aeolothrips intermedius (Thysanoptera: Aeolothripidae)

This study investigated the evolutionary relationship between Aeolothrips collaris Priesner, 1919 and Aeolothrips intermedius Bagnall, 1934 within the Thysanoptera: Aeolothripidae family. Notably, A. collaris DNA barcode was made for the first time and compared with other Aeolothrips species in GenBank. While revealing a close genetic association (82-83%) between these species, the analysis using the Neighbor-Joining method clustered A. collaris with A. albicinctus Haliday, 1836 and A. ericae Bagnall, 1920, while A. albicinctus grouped alongside A. fasciatus (Linnaeus 1758) and A. duvali Moulton, 1927 GenBank BlastN analysis supported the expected placement of A. intermedius. These insights highlight significant genetic connections but suggest the necessity for a broader examination involving more species and gene regions. Expanding this research could yield a comprehensive understanding of the intricate taxonomic relationships within this thrips genus, setting the groundwork for future investigations into thrips species evolution and taxonomy.

Thrips Species Composition in Ontario Greenhouse Floriculture: Innovative Identification Tools and Implications for Integrated Pest Management.

Proper species identification is the keystone of successful integrated pest management (IPM). However, efforts to identify thrips species in Canadian greenhouses have not been formally made since the 1980s. In response to recent increases in crop damage, we sampled thrips communities from eight commercial floriculture greenhouses in the Niagara region (Ontario, Canada) from May until August 2016. Selected sites were revisited in 2017, 2018, and 2019 to determine changes in species composition over time. Western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande)), along with onion thrips (Thrips tabaci Lindeman), constituted the majority of species found. Other pest species (less than 8% of specimens across all sampling years) included poinsettia thrips (Echinothrips americanus Morgan), chrysanthemum thrips (Thrips nigropilosus Uzel), and Frankliniella fusca (Hinds). Further investigations of thrips outbreaks in Ontario from 2016 to 2023 revealed other important species, including Thrips parvispinus (Karny), Hercinothrips femoralis (Reuter), and Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood. The current biocontrol strategies used in Ontario floriculture crops for western flower thrips do not adequately control onion thrips or other thrips pests in ornamental crops, making identification a fundamental step in determining whether biocontrol or chemical control strategies should be implemented. However, traditional taxonomic keys are inaccessible to non-specialists due to their technical difficulty. Using the data gathered in these surveys, we developed a simplified, illustrated identification key for use by growers and IPM consultants.

Thripidae pest species community identification and population genetic diversity analyses of 2 dominant thrips in cotton fields of China.

Thrips are devastating pests for various crops, and they can rasp tender leaves, terminal buds, and flowers, which specifically causing huge economic losses to cotton production. However, there is very little knowledge about the species composition of thrips in mainland China, as well as the genetic structure of the thrips populations, particularly in the cotton-producing regions. In this study, thrips were collected from 40 geographical locations at 8 different provinces which representing majority cotton-producing belts in China, and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I sequence was used to identify species composition and evaluate the genetic diversity of collected thrips individuals. Based on experimental results proven that overall, 10 and 8 species of thrips were identified in seedling and flowering stage respectively, which is corresponding dominant species are Thrip tabaci (Lindeman) and Frankliniella intonsa (Trybom). Genetically, 24 haplotypes were identified in 310 T. tabaci individuals from 10 locations, and 263 haplotypes were detected in 1,861 F. intonsa individuals from 40 locations. Hap1 (T. tabaci) is the most widely distributed haplotype among all the T. tabaci samples. Likewise, Hap 2 is the most widely distributed and abundant haplotype among all samples of F. intonsa. The genetic differentiation degrees of T. tabaci between SXYC population and other 9 populations were high, but its gene flow in these 10 regions was relatively low, which might be due to geographical barriers. The Mantel tests showed no correlation between genetic distance and geographic distance of the 2 thrip species. Demographic analysis results showed that both T. tabaci and F. intonsa experienced population expansion in China. Taken together, this study identifies the species composition of thrips in major cotton-producing regions at different growth periods and evaluates effects of geomorphology on the geographical distribution of haplotypes of dominant thrips T. tabaci and F. intonsa.

Bionomics and Damage Estimation of Dolichothrips indicus (Hood, 1919) (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) in a New Host in Tamil Nadu, India

Bionomics and damage of a polyphagous and an enigmatic phlaeothripid insect, Dolichothrips indicus (Hood, 1919) has been described on a profitable and popular agro-forestry crop Melia dubia (Malabar Neem) in Tamil Nadu, a southern state of India. This little-known target thrips species, previously known to feed flowers and shoots of different plant families has come out as a pest of M. dubia which is persistent in nurseries and regular in plantations. Molecular aided taxonomic identification of D. indicus performed during the study revealed their highest compatibility with the type specimens of D. rambhutanae (Ananthakrishnan) and D. pumilus (Priesner). Population assessment and mapping of D. indicus for over a year showed nil to very high population. Population density with individuals <50 had occurred in 3 out of total 23 study locations comprised of 13 districts of Tamil Nadu triggered by positively correlated (r=0.384) relative humidity. Whereas other weather parameters did not impact the population significantly. Alteration in food plant selection from Ailanthus excelsa shoots feeder to ravenous shoot and leaf feeder of host M. dubia was documented. Infected leaves of M. dubia encountered the development of boundless branched stellate trichomes on the abaxial surface. The feeding and egg laying damage of D. indicus on M. dubia resulted the loss of average 52% of chlorophyll content and 80% of total leaf lamina compared to the healthy one after heavy infestation. Other secondary infection symptoms seen in the adaxial surface of leaves during infestation are yet to be investigated.

Efficacy of Herbivore-Induced Plant Volatile Methyl Salicylate in Evaluating the Seasonal Abundance of Herbivorous Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Sweet Pepper.

Herbivorous thrips that damage fruits, vegetables, field crops, and ornamentals are challenging to control using insecticides and need an integrated approach (IPM) for their management. Herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) are semiochemical plants produced to attract natural enemies (NEs) of arthropod herbivores. Sex pheromones are animal-based semiochemicals that can attract males or females of conspecifics. The HIPV methyl salicylate (MS) is used in IPM to attract NEs. We conducted field experiments in 2018-2019 in Tennessee to study the efficacy of MS and the aggregation pheromone neryl (S)-2-methylbutanoate (NMB), which attracts Frankliniella occidentalis (FO), a dominant pest of many crops, in attracting thrips using sweet peppers. We found a significantly higher number of thrips in traps baited with MS than in the traps containing NMB when compared with a no-lure control. All treatments caught only one thrips species, Frankliniella tritici (FT), a significant pest of young cotton. It can also lower the abundance of FO in other crops. Our findings show that although FO was not found in the study location in Tennessee, traps baited with MS are suitable for managing FT and reducing FO in susceptible crops by increasing FT and attracting NEs to crop productions that use IPM-based management practices.

Loquat, a non-native plant in Türkiye, is a key seasonal host in the life cycle of Thrips hawaiiensis (Morgan, 1913) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

The Hawaiian flower thrips, Thrips hawaiiensis (Morgan, 1913) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is an important pest of several fruit crops in Türkiye’s Mediterranean region, one of the world’s major citrus-growing regions. In this study, the population fluctuation of T. hawaiiensis and other thrips species was investigated in citrus orchards, weeds, and nearby loquat trees. Results showed significant differences in populations of T. hawaiiensis among citrus varieties. The highest population density and damage ratio of T. hawaiiensis among citrus species were recorded in lemon variety (Kütdiken). Thrips hawaiiensis was detected on Daucus carota L. and Amaranthus albus L. among weeds as well as on flowers of loquat in the sampling area. The life cycle of T. hawaiiensis switched seasonally among citrus, weed, and loquat host plants. In addition, Melanthrips pallidior (Priesner, 1919) was the predominant species on weeds in the sampling area. These data suggest that T. hawaiiensis populations may be affected by climatic variations and hosts in and around the citrus orchard. The results are important in optimizing thrips monitoring and management strategies in citrus.

An analysis of Thysanoptera associated with the flowers of some stone fruits in Mersin Province (Türkiye): composition, distribution, population dynamics and damage status

The distribution, abundance and damage status of Thysanoptera species were investigated in two different regions of Mersin Province, Türkiye between 2020 and 2021. A total of 18 Thysanoptera species were determined, with Thrips major Uzel, 1895 and Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande, 1895) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) being the most common. While nectarine had the highest diversity of habitats for thrips, plum displayed greater richness in terms of species composition. Adult thrips primarily inhabited flowers while T. major larvae were present during petal fall periods. No larvae of F. occidentalis or Thrips tabaci Lindeman,1889 (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) were found on the plant parts sampled throughout the samplings. Although no visible signs of damage by adult thrips were observed on the flowers, typical damage in the form of silvery scars appeared on the young fruits of nectarines and plums. The average rate of scarred fruit of nectarines or plums varied between 2-7%. Finally, T. major was the main pest thrips species responsible for damaging fruits of the plums and nectarines in Mersin.

Genetic Diversity and DNA Barcoding of Thrips in Bangladesh.

Thrips are economically important pests, and some species transmit plant viruses that are widely distributed and can damage vegetables and cash crops. Although few studies on thrips species have been conducted in Bangladesh, the variation and genetic diversity of thrips species remain unknown. In this study, we collected thrips samples from 16 geographical locations throughout the country and determined the nucleotide sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (mtCOI) gene in 207 thrips individuals. Phylogenetic analysis revealed ten genera (Thrips, Haplothrips, Megalothrips, Scirtothrips, Frankliniella, Dendrothripoides, Astrothrips, Microcephalothrips, Ayyaria, and Bathrips) and 19 species of thrips to inhabit Bangladesh. Among these, ten species had not been previously reported in Bangladesh. Intraspecific genetic variation was diverse for each species. Notably, Thrips palmi was the most genetically diverse species, containing 14 haplotypes. The Mantel test revealed no correlation between genetic and geographical distances. This study revealed that thrips species are expanding their host ranges and geographical distributions, which provides valuable insights into monitoring the diversity of and control strategies for these pests.

Taxonomic review and illustrated key to identify species of Thysanoptera in subfamily Panchaetothripinae (Thripidae) from the Philippines

The paper provides a review of 16 species in 12 genera under subfamily Panchaetothripinae (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) from the Philippines including new host plant records for Selenothrips rubrocinctus (Giard). Identification keys to genus and species were developed using morphology-based diagnostics of adult female thrips. Photomicrographs of female, and male thrips when available are provided. Reviewed and redefined are the morphological characteristics of Astrothrips aucubae Kurosawa, Astrothrips globiceps (Karny), Astrothrips tumiceps Karny, Caliothrips striatopterus (Kobus), Copidothrips octarticulatus (Schmutz), Elixothrips brevisetis (Bagnall), Helionothrips annosus Wang, Helionothrips guttatus Reyes, Helionothrips kodaliphilus (Ramakrishna & Margabandhu), Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis (Bouche), Hemingia glandula Reyes, Panchaetothrips stepheni Reyes, Phibalothrips peringueyi (Faure), Retithrips javanicus Karny, Rhipiphorothrips pulchellus Morgan, and Selenothrips rubrocinctus (Giard). Species identity confirmation using molecular techniques is recommended for the three species of Helionothrips Bagnall. All 16 species of thrips infest crop plants, fruit trees, grasses, and ornamentals. Caliothrips striatopterus (Kobus), Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis (Bouche), and Selenothrips rubrocinctus (Giard) are pests of mangosteen, and other high value crops in the Philippines.

Elevated CO2 affects interspecific competition between the invasive thrips Frankliniella occidentalis and native thrips species

Elevated CO2 affects interspecific competition between the invasive thrips Frankliniella occidentalis and native thrips species

Why does identification matter? Thrips species (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) found in soybean in southern Brazil show great geographical and interspecific variation in susceptibility to insecticides

Thrips have historically been considered secondary soybean pests in Brazil and neighboring countries. However, since the 2010s they have gained importance in soybean in central and northern Brazil. From 2017 onwards, high infestations of thrips have also been detected in soybean in southern Brazil. Here, we collected and identified thrips species from soybean fields in southern Brazil throughout the 2022/2023 season and conducted laboratory bioassays to assess their susceptibility to selected insecticides. Thrips were exposed to the field concentrations of selected insecticides in leaf-dip bioassays using soybean leaves. Our results indicated that Frankliniella schultzei (Trybom, 1910) and Caliothrips phaseoli (Hood, 1912) are the major thrips species found in soybean in southern Brazil. These species exhibited high mortality and relatively low geographic and interspecific variation in susceptibility to the field concentrations of spinetoram, methomyl, spinetoram + methoxyfenozide and profenofos + cypermethrin. In general, most populations of C. phaseoli were more susceptible to acephate, chlorfenapyr and abamectin than F. schultzei, whereas bifenthrin + carbosulfan showed high lethality against most populations of F. schultzei, however, both species had wide geographic variation in susceptibility to these chemistries. In contrast, populations of both species have low mortality when exposed to the field concentrations of imidacloprid, lambda-cyhalothrin and lambda-cyhalothrin + sulfoxaflor. In summary, our study documents significant variations in the susceptibility of F. schultzei and C. phaseoli to selected insecticides, both among species and among geographical areas across southern Brazil. These results highlight the importance of species identification for the effective control of thrips in soybean in Brazil and other South American countries.

Molecular characterization and incidence of new tospovirus: Soybean Vein Necrosis Virus (SVNV) in Egypt.

Field survey study was conducted season (2017). Soybeans and weeds were weekly sampled randomly. Thrips adults were identified and counted. Detection of the virus isolate and the natural incidence was determined using; Mechanical transmission, host range, DAS-ELISA, RT-PCR. The natural incidence thrips individuals was detected depending on the SVNV% in thrips individuals and weeds hosts. Ten thrips species were associated with soybean plants in the field. The most abundant species was T. tabaci, average 256.5 average no.of individuals, followed by F. occidentalis (142.5 average no. of individuals), then N. variabilis (86.6/ average no. of individuals). Fourteen thrips species occurred on 5 legumes field crops and 41 weed plant species within soybean field. The highest average number 40.6.of individuals were recorded on Ammi majus. While the lowest one 3.3 average no. of individuals were on Urtica urens. Only 21diagnostic plant species were susceptible to infection with SVNV. G. max and Vigna radiate, were the highest percentage of infection 80% followed by V. unguilata & N. benthamiana, 75%. Egyptian isolate of Soybean vein necrosis virus (SVNV) in this study showed a high degree of similarity and it is closely related to TSWV from Egypt (DQ479968) and TCSV from USA (KY820965) with nucleotide sequence identity of 78%. Four thrips species transmitted SVNV (F. fusca 4.0%, F. schultzei 4.3%, F. tritici 3.3% and N. variabilis 68.0% transmission). Both C. phaseoli and M. sjostedti can acquire the virus but unable to transmit it. The following species; T. tabaci, F. occidentalis, S. dorsallis and T. palmi cannot acquire or transmit SVNV. The incidence of SVNV in the field started by the end of July then increased gradualy from 12.7 to 71.3% by the end of the season. In conclusion, few thrips individuals invaded soybean crops are enough to transmit high rate of SVNV within the crop. Furthermore, several vector species are also abundant on weeds, which are the major sources of soybean viruses transmitted to the crops. This information might be important for control and reduce the incidence of SVNV infection.

Transient composition of the thrips species (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) infesting mulberry in southern India: first report of two, including the dominating invasive pest Thrips parvispinus

Abstract Alerted by the steady upsurge of thrips infestation that led to drastic leaf-yield losses in mulberry, we investigated the composition of thrips species damaging the crop in the south Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu from 2017 to 2023. The 5 species recorded included 3 previously recognized mulberry pests—Bathrips melanicornis, Pseudodendrothrips darci, and Scirtothrips dorsalis—and 2 newly encountered pests, namely Thrips palmi and Thrips parvispinus. At Handenahalli village in Anekal taluk of Bengaluru Urban district in Karnataka, where multiple thrips species simultaneously infested mulberry, the typical downward curling of leaves was ascribed to T. parvispinus. This was in contrast to the upward curling caused by the sole infestation of P. darci, the most common species infesting mulberry across the 3 states. Diagnostic characters of all the reported species are presented here along with the identification keys and photomicrographs. Thrips parvispinus as a new pest of mulberry warrants special attention given the economic loss caused by this highly polyphagous invasive species in chili in southern India during the latter half of 2021. Its presence in the transient composition of mulberry-infesting thrips species signals the possibility of it becoming a regular pest in the future with serious repercussions for the moriculture and sericulture sectors.

Differences between volatiles that affect the attraction of different Rosa chinensis (Rosales: Rosaceae) cultivars for Frankliniella intonsa (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

AbstractFrankliniella intonsa Trybom is a common flower‐inhabiting thrips species and an economically important pest of numerous horticultural and agricultural crops. Olfactory cues are important for thrips to find host plants. In this study, the olfactory behavioral responses of F. intonsa to volatiles from five Rosa chinensis cultivars (Samantha, Zeprti, Queen Elizabeth, Golden Scepter, and Witte Koster) were tested in Y‐tube and six‐arm olfactometer experiments. Then the volatile components of the R. chinensis flowers were analyzed by SPME coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS). Both female and male thrips showed significant preferences for volatiles from the five R. chinensis cultivars compared with clean air (CA). However, according to the six‐arm olfactometer bioassays, female F. intonsa adults were better than male thrips at recognizing the odor stimulation and showed the strongest olfactory preference for Samantha, followed by Zeprti, Queen Elizabeth, Golden Scepter, and then Witte Koster. SPME‐GC–MS analysis identified 56, 53, 53, 57, and 60 components in the volatile profiles of Samantha, Zeprti, Queen Elizabeth, Golden Scepter, and Witte Koster, respectively. Eugenol (12.53%) was the most abundant volatile compound in cultivar Witte Koster, ɑ‐pinene was the most abundant compound in Samantha (18.26%) and Zeprti (23.73%), and phenylethyl alcohol was the most abundant in Queen Elizabeth (30.10%) and Golden Scepter (31.33%). Therefore, the olfactory responses of F. intonsa to different R. chinensis cultivars demonstrated that host‐related volatiles play an important role in thrip host‐searching. Future mitigation approaches, for example, attractant traps, could still be used for key monitoring and control of this pest.

Predator-prey interactions: How thrips avoid predation

Biological pest control is successful in many agricultural systems, yet various pests can still not be controlled with natural enemies. Examples are invasive thrips species such as Echinothrips americanus Morgan and Thrips parvispinus (Karny) in Europe. The lack of biological control of these pests in several crops has been subscribed to their complex life cycle and cryptic behaviours, but their antipredator behaviours may prevent successful control and have not been studied extensively. One of these behaviours is the potential of thrips to kill the eggs of predatory mites, which we quantified. Furthermore, we observed the behaviour of first- and second-instar thrips larvae when attacked by starved predatory mites Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot. For comparison, we included Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), which shows an array of defensive behaviours, but can be controlled successfully by several species of predatory mites. Second-instar larvae and adults of F. occidentalis and T. parvispinus killed predator eggs, but E. americanus did not. First- and second-instar larvae of all three species swung their abdomen to defend themselves, and F. occidentalis and T. parvispinus produced anal droplets, which are also involved in defence. Predators were not successful in attacking any second-instar larvae during 15-minute observations, which is sufficiently long for an attack. First-instar larvae of F. occidentalis and T. parvispinus were sometimes successfully attacked by the predatory mite before they could mount a defence, but first-instar E. americanus always defended themselves and were almost never preyed upon. Cooling thrips larvae to suppress antipredator behaviour increased predation for all species and stages, except for first instars of F. occidentalis. In conclusion, the lack of successful control of E. americanus is not caused by killing predator eggs, but by the efficient defensive behaviour of both larval instars. Our study furthermore suggests that T. parvispinus can potentially be controlled by A. swirskii.

First notes on plant diversity, finding sites and sex ratio in natural populations of Thrips tabaci Lindeman (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Algeria (Biskra province)

"Thrips tabaci Lindeman (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), commonly known as onion thrips, is a serious global pest of commercial onion, causing direct and indirect important damages. This survey carried out in natural areas of Biskra province (Algeria) during two periods, 2008/2009 and 2011/2012, aims to review the plant species harbouring T. tabaci in this region. Algerian and Spanish researchers confirmed twenty-three thrips species. T. tabaci is the most abundant and polyphagous. Studies have indicated that it settled in fifty one plant species belonging to nineteen botanical families. The most important are Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Fabaceae, and Amaranthaceae. In Biskra, T. tabaci was found in sites between -32 m and 1000 m of sea level. The results also indicate the presence of sexual and asexual populations. This study shows that T. tabaci is ubiquitous in the natural habitat of Biskra province. Further research is needed to confirm its host plants and the most common mode of reproduction in this region by studying the largest number of plants in various environments and demonstrating the sex ratio over a broad survey spectrum."

New data on the thrips (Thysanoptera) fauna of Yakutia

New data are presented on two invasive species of thrips in Yakutia: Frankliniella lilivora Kurosawa, 1937, new to the fauna of Russia, and Liothrips vaneeckei Priesner, 1920, new to the fauna of Yakutia. Morphological description of F. lilivora , speci c to lily bulbs, and a key to the Russian Frankliniella species are provided.