Author(s)

Raymond A. Cloyd

Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USA.

Western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis, is a major cosmopolitan insect pest causing direct and indirect damage to greenhouse-grown horticultural crops. The primary way of managing western flower thrips populations is by routinely applying insecticides, which target the aboveground life stages: larvae and adult. However, insecticides are minimally effective against the pupal stages (prepupae and pupae) that reside in the growing medium or soil. Therefore, soil-dwelling biological control agents including: predatory mites [Stratiolaelaps scimitus and Hypoaspis = (Geolaelaps) aculeifer], and a rove beetle, Dalotia coriaria may be a viable option to induce mortality on the pupal stages. These predators will feed on the pupal stages of the western flower thrips and can provide mortality on a life stage that is tolerant of insecticide applications. However, these biological control agents need to be used in conjunction with other plant protection strategies, such as insecticides and/or biological control agents that target the aboveground life stages (larvae and adult) to effectively manage western flower thrips populations in greenhouse production systems.

Predatory Mites, Rove Beetle, Growing Medium, Biological Control, Predation

Cloyd, R. (2019) Effects of Predators on the Belowground Life Stages (Prepupae and Pupae) of the Western Flower Thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Thripidae: Thysanoptera): A Review. Advances in Entomology, 7, 71-80. doi: 10.4236/ae.2019.74006.