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Title: LIGHT RESPONSE BY FRANKLINIELLA OCCIDENTALIS TO WHITE FLUORESCENT LIGHT FILTERED THROUGH COLOR FILM AND ULTRAVIOLET-AND BLUE LIGHT-EMITTING DIODES

Author
item CHU, CHANG CHI
item CHEN, TIAN-YE - U OF AZ, MARICOPA
item NATWICK, ERIC - UC COOP HOLTVILLE
item FITZGERALD, GLENN
item TUCK, SHAUN - FORMER WCRL EMPLOYEE
item ALEXANDER, PATRICK
item HENNEBERRY, THOMAS

Submitted to: Southwest Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2005
Publication Date: 9/29/2005
Citation: Chu, C., Chen, T., Natwick, E.T., Fitzgerald, G.J., Tuck, S., Alexander, P.J., Henneberry, T.J. 2005. Light response by frankliniella occidentalis to white fluorescent light filtered through color film and ultraviolet-and blue light-emitting diodes. Southwest Entomology Vol 30 No. 3: 149-154.

Interpretive Summary: Western flower thrips are pests worldwide. We conducted studies to determine their spectral response for developing traps that can be used for detection, monitoring, and means of potential control in greenhouses. Light-emitting diodes (LED) with blue light increased catches of blue sticky cards. Results from our recent studies in a darkroom indicate that ultraviolet light(369 nm) caught many more thrips than any other colors ranging from white to blue. Blue sticky card traps equipped with blue LED caught more thrips compared with without LEDs.

Technical Abstract: Western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), are economic pests worldwide. A study was conducted to obtain efficacy data to help develop traps for monitoring F. occidentalis population variations in the field and greenhouses. Spectral responses were determined using blue sticky card (BC) traps equipped with light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in the field and a parti-colored light array (PLA) system in the laboratory under darkroom conditions. BC traps equipped with ultraviolet (UV) LEDs were more attractive to this thrips as compared with blue LEDs. Distances from the point of thrips release to the PLA affected the number of thrips caught independently of trap color.