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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Maricopa, Arizona » U.S. Arid Land Agricultural Research Center » Pest Management and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #195635
Title: DEVELOPING AND EVALUATING TRAPS FOR MONITORING SCIRTOTHRIPS DORSALIS (THYSANOPTERA: THRIPIDAE)

Author
item Chu, Chang Chi
item CIOMPERLIK, MATTHEW - USDA-APHIS-PPQ-CPHST
item CHANG, NIANN-TAI - NATL PINGTUNG UNIV
item RICHARDS, MARCUS - MA&F, ST VINCENT WI
item Henneberry, Thomas

Submitted to: Florida Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/27/2005
Publication Date: 2/15/2006
Citation: Chu, C., Ciomperlik, M.A., Chang, N., Richards, M., Henneberry, T.J. 2006. Developing and evaluating traps for monitoring scirtothrips dorsalis (thysanoptera: thripidae). Florida Entomologist 89(1): 47-55.

Interpretive Summary: Chili thrips (Scirtothrips doralis)are a recently identified invasive pest to the Caribbean and have been found in Florida in 2005. They threaten agriculture and trade in the Caribbean and agricultural industries in the United States. Scientists at the U.S. Arid-Land Agricultural Research Center developed several traps in the United States and evaluated them in St. Vincent and Taiwan in 2004 and 2005. Results indicate that the yellow sticky card traps are useful for monitoring the pest densities on chilli peppers in St. Vincent. The modified CC trap had low insect catch rates and can be used only for capture of intact specimens for genetic studies. A combination of visual observation, yellow sticky traps and CC traps may be an effective S. dorsalis population detecting and monitoring system.

Technical Abstract: 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 catpure 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 caugaht 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 comination detecting system of visual observation, yellow sticky traps and CC traps may be an effective S. dorslis population detecting and monitoring system.