Survey of Thysanoptera using colored sticky card traps in Florida olive groves

Authors: PHILLIPS, ELEANOR - University Of Florida; Allan, Sandra - Sandy; GRIFFITH, TARYN - University Of Florida; GILLETT-KAUFMAN, JENNIFER - University Of Florida

Submitted to: Florida Entomologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/13/2019
Publication Date: 7/10/2020
Citation: Phillips, E.F., Allan, S.A., Griffith, T.B., Gillett-Kaufman, J.L. 2020. Survey of Thysanoptera using colored sticky card traps in Florida, USA, olive groves. Florida Entomologist. 103(2):264-273. https://doi.org/10.1653/024.103.0218.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1653/024.103.0218

Interpretive Summary: Olives are a significant emerging crop in Florida and the Southeast, but little is known about potential native insect pests of olives. A short-term study to identify and monitor the insects present in an olive orchard was initiated. In this study, a researcher from USDA ARS, Center for Medical Agricultural and Veterinary Entomology, Gainesville, Florida, in collaboration with researchers at University of Florida assessed the potential pest insect species present in olive orchards in Florida. To sample a wide array of insects, colored sticky traps were used. Over 16 species of thrips were collected including several species that are of economic importance to other orchard crops. The results are useful in development of monitoring programs for potentially damaging pest populations of thrips on the olive tree and can guide management decisions for crop protection.

Technical Abstract: Olives are a potential emerging crop for the state of Florida, and the pest arthropods in commercial groves in the state is under-studied. Thrips (order Thysanoptera) are an almost ubiquitous concern among specialty crop growers in Florida. Yellow and blue sticky card traps were utilized to survey the canopies of trees in four north central Florida olive groves to determine thrips abundance and distribution over two growing seasons. Of the 16 species of thrips identified, most were Frankliniella spp., with Florida flower thrips, Frankliniella bispinosa (Morgan) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), the most abundant species for both years. Yellow traps were more effective for most species of thrips, although several species were more abundant on blue traps. No consistent differences between years existed. Although overall abundance of flower feeding thrips species coincided with flowering events in the olive orchards, there was insufficient flowering to make statistical correlations between the peak of thrips abundance and flowering events in the olive groves. The results of this study will be useful in informing future economic threshold analyses of Thysanoptera in Florida olive groves.