Greenhouse thrips, Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis, in California avocado orchards: biological control studies

Abstract

Greenhouse thrips, Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis (Bouche), on avocado in California, is another case, like pear thrips, of a species being present for many decades but only recently increasing to major pest status. Damaging infestations, previously occurring only sporadically and mainly in areas within a few kilometers of the coast, now are common in the interior districts of Ventura and San Diego Counties in southern California. Greenhouse thrips causes scarring of fruit, mainly on the Hass variety, reducing its market value. The problem has brought about an increased use of insecticides by avocado growers, who generally avoid spraying thereby encouraging control of most arthropod pests by resident natural enemies. This paper summarizes investigations conducted over the past several years on the most common indigenous natural enemies and on introduced parasitoids of H. haemorrhoidalis in California.

Parent Publication

• Towards understanding thysanoptera

Citation

McMurtry, James A.; Badii, Mohammad H. 1991. Greenhouse thrips, Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis, in California avocado orchards: biological control studies. Parker, Bruce. L.; Skinner, Margaret; Lewis, Trevor, eds. Towards Understanding Thysanoptera. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-147. Radnor, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station: 393-398.