Family: Thripidae – EDIS Update

Thrips Management Program for Horticultural Crops

Among the 5,500 (or more) well-described species of thrips worldwide, nearly 1% are known as economically important pests. Because these tiny pests can feed on multiple plants, their damage potential to nursery and greenhouse production is immense: thrips inflict millions of dollars loss every year. Thrips hide easily in tiny spaces, reproduce rapidly, and can survive in lots of climates. And they are invisibly small! Thrips infestations present a huge problem in the regional and international trade of plant materials and products, due to the quarantine risks and damage associated with several species in the order.

This 7-page fact sheet written by Vivek Kumar, Garima Kakkar, Cristi Palmer, Cindy L. McKenzie, and Lance S. Osborne and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology presents a program to manage important thrips pests, including western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis), chilli thrips (Scirtothrips dorsalis), weeping fig thrips (Gynaikothrips uzeli), gladiolus thrips (Thrips simplex), and privet thrips (Dendrothrips ornatus) known to damage several horticultural crops of economic importance in the United States. The publication will help growers take appropriate measures to minimize economic damage.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1145

Pest identification Guide: Florida flower thrips Frankliniella bispinosa (Morgan)

The Florida flower thrips is a known pest of blueberry but its status in other crops is unclear. Florida flower thrips transmits Tomato spotted wilt virus and possibly other tospoviruses. This species is primarily a flower feeder, so most damage would be expected on the flower or fruit. Learn to identify the Florida flower thrips with this two-page illustrated guide written by Jeffrey D. Cluever and Hugh A. Smith and published by the Department of Entomology and Nematology.
edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1125

Pest Identification Guide: An Introduction to Thrips

Tiny insects called thrips are difficult to see with the unaided eye but cause very obvious and sometimes ruinous damage to the flowers, buds, and fruit of many important crops. This two-page guide asks and answers the key thrips questions that allow growers to distinguish between chilli thrips, common blossom thrips, and Western flower thrips to more effectively battle against these destructive pests. What does it look like? What is its life cycle? Where is it found? What type of damage does it cause? And, most importantly, who are its natural enemies? Use this guide to help you identify thrips so that you can take effective steps to control them and limit the damage they cause. Written by Nicole Casuso and Hugh Smith with photos by Lyle Buss, Jeff Cluever, Vivek Kumar, P.M.J. Ramakers, Gary Vallad, and Hugh Smith. Published by the Entomology and Nematology Department, UF/IFAS Extension.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1058

Western Flower Thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis [Pergande])

One of many species of thrips found in Florida, Frankliniella occidentalis is a pest of several crops throughout Florida and the world, causing injury by feeding and by transmission of plant viruses. This 8-page fact sheet was written by Jeffrey D. Cluever, Hugh A. Smith, Joseph E. Funderburk, and Galen Frantz, and published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, April 2015. (Photo: Lyle Buss)
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in1089

EENY477/IN860 Common blossom thrips, Frankliniella schultzei Trybom (Insecta: Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

EENY477, a 6-page illustrated fact sheet by Garima Kakkar, Daksina R. Seal, and Vivek Kumar Jha, is part of the Featured Creatures collection. It describes this relatively new vegetable pest in South Florida which is a key pest in tomato and cucumber fields in South America — synonymy, distribution, description, life cycle, hosts, economic importance, and management. Includes references. Published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, July 2010.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in860

EENY463/IN833 Chilli thrips Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood (Insecta: Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

EENY463, a 10-page fact sheet by Vivek Kumar Jha, Dakshina R. Seal and Garima Kakkar, is part of the Featured Creatures collection. It describes this new introduced insect pest that is an important pest of vegetable, ornamental and fruit crops — synonymy, distribution, identification, life cycle and biology, hosts, damage, disease transmission, management. Includes references. Published by the UF Department of Entomology and Nematology, November 2009.
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/IN833