Western Flower Thrips
Overview
The Western Flower Thrip (Frankliniella occidentalis) is known to feed on over 500 species of plants including vegetables, ornamentals, and fruit throughout the world.
Western Flower Thrips are more numerous in mid to late summer although they can be found throughout the year in both protected and outdoor crops.
Females range in size from 1.4mm to 1.8mm and males from 0.9mm to 1.1mm. A darker, slightly larger form of Western Flower Thrip may be seen in winter. There is a distinctive black tip on the female’s abdomen.
Why you need to control Western Flower Thrips
You are most likely to find Western Flower Thrips in flowers, where they feed on nectar and pollen.
In flowers, feeding by this pest causes silvering, streaking, bronzing or distortion of petals or sepals. They can also cause feeding scars on immature fruit. This can distort the fruit because the fruit is unable to elongate evenly around the scar tissue.
Western Flower Thrips are primary vectors of Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus, which can cause major problems in a wide range of crops such as tomato, capsicum, eggplant, potato, ornamentals, lettuce, cymbidium orchids, melon, and cucumber to name a few.
Beneficial predators to control Western Flower Thrips among crops
Biological Services produces a range of products to help you control Western Flower Thrips in your commercial crops and can design a program incorporating Orius, Cucumeris, Hypoaspis aculeifer (Killer Mites), Typhlodromips montdorensis (Montdorensis), Franklinothrips vespiformis (Frankie), and Dalotia.
You can also use yellow and blue sticky traps and rolls to help you monitor and mass-trap Western Flower Thrips.
Get tailored advice for your commercial crop
To speak with one of our qualified consultants about your current commercial crop challenge or to learn about the benefits of the IPM maintenance and monitoring services we provide, contact us.