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However, some thrips, including rose thrips, onion thrips, and western flower thrips, damage plants. They can weaken vegetables and flowers and even spread plant diseases.
The western flower thrips [Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande)] is an invasive pest insect in agriculture. This species of thrips is native to the Southwestern United States [1] but has spread to other continents, including Europe, Australia (where it was identified in May 1993 [1]), and South America via transport of infested plant material.
Western Flower Thrips are extremely hard to remove from their host plants, as they often dig themselves deep into blossoms, buds and other areas hard to reach with insecticides. [9] So, even if plants are sprayed regularly with insecticide, INSV and other insect vectored viruses can not always be ruled out when forming diagnosis. [10]
In order to protect their eggs, thrips insert their eggs into various types of plant tissue. Eggs can be found in the stems, leaves, or flowers of plants. [8] Thrips hatch in 2–3 days and complete their life cycle in 20–30 days. [2] Adult thrips feed on the flower bud, stem and leaf parts of the plant. [8]
Ullman is known for her research that revolves around an insect called a thrip and the orthotospoviruses that thrips can transmit to crop plants. An example of a virus she has worked with is the Tomato spotted wilt orthotospovirus (TSWV) which is transmitted by western flower thrips. [ 5 ]
The western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis, has spread until it now has a worldwide distribution, and is the primary vector of plant diseases caused by tospoviruses. [86] Other viruses that they spread include the genera Ilarvirus, (Alpha |Beta |Gamma)carmovirus, Sobemovirus and Machlomovirus. [87]
This species is an aggressive predator and will feed on the immature stages of western flower thrips, common blossom thrips, onion thrips, melon thrips and chilli thrips, as well as the silverleaf whitefly and Asian citrus psyllid, and several plant-damaging mites. It is most successful with prey feeding on foliage, and less so with those in ...
Dicyphus hesperus has also been tested as a biological control for the western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) on tomatoes. It was effective at reducing the number of thrips but when the ratio of predator to prey was too high (>1:10), some damage was caused to the tomato fruits by D. hesperus. [7]