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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 #204718
Title: Early detection and mass trapping of frankliniella occidentalis and thrips tabaci in vegetable crops

Author
item NATWICK, ERIC - UC COOP EXT HOLTVILLE, CA
item Byers, John
item Chu, Chang Chi
item LOPEZ, MARTIN - UC COOP EXT HOLTVILLE, CA
item Henneberry, Thomas

Submitted to: Southwestern Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/28/2007
Publication Date: 12/1/2007
Citation: Natwick, E.T., Byers, J.A., Chu, C., Lopez, M., Henneberry, T.J. (2007). Early detection and mass trapping of frankliniella occidentalis and thrips tabaci in vegetable crops. Southwestern Entomologist, 32:229-238.

Interpretive Summary: Western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande and onion thrips, Thrips tabaci Lindeman, are economic pest insects of head lettuce, Lactuca sativa L. and dehydrator onions, Allium cepa L., in the Imperial Valley, California. Sticky traps were evaluated as potential detection and monitoring devices of the two thrip species in 2006. Results showed that blue sticky card traps captured more of both species of adult thrips compared to yellow sticky card traps. Mean numbers of thrips captured on blue sticky traps were significantly related to mean numbers captured on yellow sticky traps. Sticky card traps captured more adult thrips than numbers recovered from whole plant samples. Spectroradiograms of the colored traps in sunlight showed the blue sticky cards reflected considerably more bluish light (400-500 nm) than the yellow sticky cards that reflected more light in the 550-700 nm range. Results suggest that blue sticky card traps may be useful to detect the presence of thrips in lettuce and onion fields in combination with whole plant sampling methods to determine the need for control.

Technical Abstract: Western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis Pergande and onion thrips, Thrips tabaci Lindeman, are economic pest insects of head lettuce, Lactuca sativa L. and dehydrator onions, Allium cepa L., in the Imperial Valley, California. Sticky traps were evaluated as potential detection and monitoring devices of the two thrip species in 2006. Results showed that blue sticky card traps captured more of both species of adult thrips compared to yellow sticky card traps. Mean numbers of thrips captured on blue sticky traps were significantly related to mean numbers captured on yellow sticky traps. Sticky card traps captured more adult thrips than numbers recovered from whole plant samples. Spectroradiograms of the colored traps in sunlight showed the blue sticky cards reflected considerably more bluish light (400-500 nm) than the yellow sticky cards that reflected more light in the 550-700 nm range. Results suggest that blue sticky card traps may be useful to detect the presence of thrips in lettuce and onion fields in combination with whole plant sampling methods to determine the need for control.