Influence of temperature on thrips parvispinus development and reproduction

Thrips parvispinus (Karny) is an invasive pest native to the Asian Tropics and has been reported in more than 20 countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, and America. It is a polyphagous insect with a wide host range, including ornamentals, vegetables, and fruits. It is a pest of economic importance, and in Florida, it is regulated by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services-Division of Plant Industry (FDACS-DPI). Little is known about the biology of T. parvispinus. The objective of this study was to measure the influence of temperature on the development and reproduction of T. parvispinus. Two different temperatures, 27 and 32 °C, were evaluated at 70% RH and 12:12h (L:D) using bean leaf discs. Individual instar larvae were placed in Petri dishes, and their development was monitored every 24 hours until adulthood. Newly emerged adults were paired and monitored daily. Every 24 hours, each pair was moved to a new leaf disc, and the larvae that emerged were scored and reared until they reached adulthood to determine the fecundity and sex ratio. A minimum of 20 replicates per temperature were conducted for the development and reproduction. Preliminary results suggest that T. parvispinus can complete its life cycle and reproduce at 27 and 32 °C temperatures. The findings of this study can be used to predict the population dynamics of T. parvispinus and design an Integrated Pest Management program.