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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Gainesville, Florida » Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology » Insect Behavior and Biocontrol Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #279015
Title: Western flower thrips resistance to insecticides: detection, mechanisms, and management strategies

Author
item GAO, YULIN - Institute Of Plant Protection - China
item LEI, ZHONGREN - Institute Of Plant Protection - China
item Reitz, Stuart

Submitted to: Pest Management Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/10/2012
Publication Date: 2/15/2012
Citation: Gao, Y., Lei, Z., Reitz, S.R. 2012. Western flower thrips resistance to insecticides: detection, mechanisms, and management strategies. Pest Management Science. DOI:10.1002/ps.3305.

Interpretive Summary: Insecticide resistance continues to be one of the most important issues facing agricultural production. The challenges in insecticide resistance and its management are exemplified by the situation with the western flower thrips. This highly invasive pest has a great propensity for developing insecticide resistance. Scientists with the USDA/Agriculture Research Service,Center for Medical, Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, Florida, and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences have been conducting research on insecticide resistance management programs to combat insecticide resistance in the western flower thrips. Several other insecticide resistance management (IRM) programs have been developed around the world, and these are discussed in this article. Successful programs rely on non-insecticidal tactics, such as biological and cultural controls and host plant resistance, to reduce population pressures, rotations among insecticides of different mode of action classes to conserve insecticide efficacy, resistance monitoring, sampling to determine the need for insecticide applications, and education to assure proper implementation. More judicious use of insecticides can be made with the development of well-founded economic thresholds for more cropping systems. While growers will continue to rely on insecticides as part of western flower thrips and thrips-transmitted virus management, more effective management of these pests will be achieved by considering their management in the context of overall integrated pest management, with IRM being a key component of those comprehensive programs.

Technical Abstract: Insecticide resistance continues to be one of the most important issues facing agricultural production. The challenges in insecticide resistance and its management are exemplified by the situation with the western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). This highly invasive pest has a great propensity for developing insecticide resistance because of its biological attributes, and cases of resistance to most classes of insecticides used for its management have been detected. To combat insecticide resistance in the western flower thrips several insecticide resistance management (IRM) programs have been developed around the world, and these are discussed. Successful programs rely on non-insecticidal tactics, such as biological and cultural controls and host plant resistance, to reduce population pressures, rotations among insecticides of different mode of action classes to conserve insecticide efficacy, resistance monitoring, sampling to determine the need for insecticide applications, and education to assure proper implementation. More judicious use of insecticides can be made with the development of well-founded economic thresholds for more cropping systems. While growers will continue to rely on insecticides as part of western flower thrips and thrips-transmitted virus management, more effective management of these pests will be achieved by considering their management in the context of overall integrated pest management, with IRM being a key component of those comprehensive programs.