Tracking the flight and landing behaviour of western flower thrips in response to single and two-colour cues.

Real-time 3D tracking and high-speed videography was used to examine the behaviour of a worldwide greenhouse pest, the western flower thrips (WFT), in response to different colours in the context of improving trap design. Measurements were taken of the number of landings on, and flight activity near, a lamp containing two LEDs of either the same colour or a combination of two colours presented side by side. Main findings show that landing patterns of WFT are different between colours, with landings on UV(+ red) as highly attractive stimulus being mostly distributed at the bottom half of the lamp, while for yellow also as very attractive and green as a 'neutral' stimulus, landings were clearly on the upper rim of the lamp.

Colour vision in thrips (Thysanoptera).

Insects are an astonishingly successful and diverse group, occupying the gamut of habitats and lifestyle niches. They represent the vast majority of described species and total terrestrial animal biomass on the planet. Their success is in part owed to their sophisticated visual systems, including colour vision, which drive a variety of complex behaviours.

Colour Response in Western Flower Thrips Varies Intraspecifically.

Discrepancies in the published research as to the attraction of the economically important pest western flower thrips (WFT) to different colours confounds the optimisation of field traps for pest management purposes. We considered whether the different experimental conditions of independent studies could have contributed to this. Therefore, the behavioural response (i.

Haze of glue determines preference of western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) for yellow or blue traps.

In a wind tunnel we compared the colour preference for western flower thrips to four types of colour plates (clear, white, blue and yellow) applied with two types of glue (diffuse Stikem versus clear D41). Further the results for blue and yellow preference were validated in two greenhouses. In the wind tunnel, we found a clear preference of yellow over blue when a clear glue (D41) was used.

Visually and olfactorily enhanced attractive devices for thrips management.

'Lure-and-infect' is an insect pest management strategy with high potential but so far there are few examples of its application. Using traps as surrogates for auto-dissemination devices, we tested the attractiveness to naturally occurring thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) of three trap types differing in colour and structure, with and without the thrips lure methyl isonicotinate (MI), and sticky plate traps as a control. The aim was to find more effective traps that could be further developed into devices for auto-dissemination and lure-and-infect of thrips.

Field attraction of the vine weevil Otiorhynchus sulcatus to kairomones.

Root weevils in the genus Otiorhynchus are cited as one of the most important pests in the major nursery and small fruit production areas throughout the United States, western Canada, and northern Europe. A major problem in combating weevil attack is monitoring and timing of control measures. Because of the night-activity of the adult weevils growers do not observe the emerging weevils in a timely manner and oviposition often starts before effective control measures are taken.