Thrips/Thripids/Thunderflies/Thunderbugs
Thrips (Thysanoptera), Thripids are tiny, slender insects with bordered wings (scientific name, from the Greek thysanos (fringe) + pteron (wing). Other common names include Thunderflies or Thunder bugs. Thrips species feed on a large variety of sources both plant and animal by puncturing them and sucking up the contents. A large number of thrips species are considered pests, because they feed on plants with commercial value. Some species of Thripids feed on other insects or mites and are considered beneficial, while some feed on fungal spores or pollen.
Here are some of the thrips out there:
avocado thrips(Scirtothrips perseae) attack the avocado and puts brown scars on the fruit and leaves.
bean thrips(Caliothrips fasciatus) attacks beans and some other legumes and give the plant a brown, distorted leaf and seedling terminals
citrus thrips(Scirtothrips citri) attack citrus plants by leaving a scabby silvery scars on the fruit.
Cuban laurel thrips(Gynaikothrips ficorum) attacks the laurel fig and Indian laurel leaving a rolled, podlike, dark, scarred terminals and even galls.
greenhouse thrips(Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis) attacks avocado, azalea, hypericum, English laurel and Grecian laurel, photinia, rhododendron, and toyon. The damage is leaves bleached and black excrement present on undersides; fruit covered with scabs.
onion thrips(Thrips tabaci) attacks yellow to orangish vegetables including garlic, onion, and pepper; also many herbaceous ornamentals. Damage is stippled and scarred petals, leaves, and other plant parts; distorted terminals
toyon thrips(Rhyncothrips ilex) favors yellow Christmas berry or toyon and causes crinkled, undersized, sometimes blackened terminal leaves.
western flower thrips(Frankliniella occidentalis) attacks many herbaceous ornamentals (impatiens, petunia), vegetables (cucurbits, pepper), fruits (grape, strawberry), and some shrubs and trees (rose, stone fruit) causing stippled and scarred petals, leaves, and other plant parts; distorted terminals.
sixspotted thrips(Scolothrips sexmaculatus) beneficial insect- -Predaceous is a predator of mites, mite eggs and small insects
Suggested Controls
1. A parasitic wasp, Thripobius semiluteus, that attacks only greenhouse thrips has been effective in controlling this pest in greenhouses and southern California avocado orchards.
2. Narrow-range oil, neem oil, and other low-toxicity insecticides such as insecticidal soaps or pyrethrins can be somewhat effective for temporary reduction of thrips populations if applied when thrips and damage first appear.
3. Reflective mulches are used to repel insect pests and improve plant growth.
4. Row covers, hot caps, and other types of cages can exclude thrips and other pests from vegetables and other young herbaceous plants. Any type of covering that excludes insects but allows light and air penetration can be used. Wood, wire, or plastic frames covered with muslin, nylon, or other mesh can be used for several years.
5. Prune and destroy injured and infested terminals when managing a few small specimen plants in the landscape. Regular pruning of infested parts can be especially effective with the gall-making Cuban laurel thrips.
6. These predators controls mites and thunderflies/thunder bugs: predatory lacewings, predatory minute pirate bugs, predatory mites and tiny wasps.
Anystis agilis and Euseius tularensis predatory mites control citrus thrips
(Franklinothrips orizabensis) and (Franklinothrips vespiformis) predatory thrips controls the avocado thrips and greenhouse thrips.
(Macrotracheliella nigra) predatory minute pirate bug controls the Cuban laurel thrips.
(Scolothrips sexmaculatus) predatory sixspotted thrips controls the mites primarily, but feeds some on thrips and other pests.
(Thripobius semiluteus) nymphal endoparasitic wasp controls the greenhouse thrips.
jim ellison enterprises
342 broken arrow
floresville, texas 78114
info@basic-info-4-organic-fertilizers.com
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