Red-banded thrips in rare fruit
David Astridge & Harry Fay
Description
Adult
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Young mangosteen fruit damaged (brown discolouration) by red banded thrips. |
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Redbanded thrips juvenile (Selenothrips rubrocinctus) hiding underneath a mangosteen fruit calayx. |
Adult thrips are dark-bodied with a red band on the first three abdominal segments. They are about 3 mm in length and have two pair of clear wings that have large fringing hairs around the whole margin.
Immature stages
The nymphs are light orange with abdominal segments one and two, and the anal segments bright red.
Life history
Eggs are inserted into the tissue on the lower leaf surface and covered with a drop of fluid, which dries to form a black, disc-like cover. Nymphs emerge in about 12 days. One generation is completed in two weeks.
Distribution
Redbanded thrips are widespread in tropical and subtropical regions of the world.
Host range
This pest attacks avocados, cashews, guavas, mammey, mangoes, and mangosteen.
Management
Importance
Major and sporadic.
Damage
Both immature and adult thrips feed by sucking sap from cells. The preferred feeding site for thrips is the tissue next to the midrib on the undersurface of leaves, but in severe infestations fruit is also attacked. The first sign of damaging is a silvering of leaves and fruit. In severe infestations, the silvering develops a pale-yellow to brown discolouration, speckled darkly with dried droppings. This insect causes damage to mammey, cashew and mangosteen.
Action level
Using a X10 magnification hand lens, check the lower leaf surfaces for thrips especially during warm dry weather. Current knowledge suggests a spray should be applied if a sample of six leaves per tree yields four or more colonies of thrips.
Control methods
Chemical
A full cover spray and, if treating for fruitspotting bugs, this spray should also control redbanded thrips.
Recommended chemicals
Endosulfan is approved against fruitspotting bug and red banded thrips in mammey.
Spinosad is approved in cherimoya, durian, feijoa, jackfruit, longan, lychee, mangosteen, rambutan and star apple.
Note: This information was correct at the time of publication. However, it is the user's responsibility to ensure that registered agricultural chemicals are used in accordance with legal requirements. (See Further information). Always read the label.
Further information
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Contact the DPI&F Business Information Centre on 13 25 23 - local call 8 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday (non-Queensland residents phone 07 3404 6999). E-mail: callweb@dpi.qld.gov.au
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Contact the DPI&F bookshop on 07 3239 3772 or DPI&FShop-online or at some DPI&F offices throughout Queensland for the DPI&F publications
- Infopest CD-ROM contains current national information on registered agricultural chemicals and is available from Infopest, DPI&F, GPO Box 46, Brisbane Qld 4001 or by email from infopest@dpi.qld.gov.au
Recommended Reading: Johnson, G., Muirhead, I., Mayers, P., Cooke, T., Cunningham, I., Bagshaw, J. and Brown, B. 1989, Mango pests and disorders , Queensland Department Primary Industries, Information Series QI89007
Other contacts:
Growcom on 07 3620 3844
Growers interested in the production of minor tropical fruits can join their local branch of the Rare Fruits Council and subscribe to their newsletter. Contact the Rare Fruits Council at PO Box 1375 Aitkenvale 4814
The DPI&F library provides a personalised information search service that may be useful for producers seeking information on minor and exotic crops
DPI&F InfoResearch on 07 3239 6989.
Information contained in this publication is provided as general advice only. For application to specific circumstances, professional advice should be sought. The Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Queensland has taken all reasonable steps to ensure the information in this publication is accurate at the time of publication. Readers should ensure that they make appropriate inquiries to determine whether new information is available on the particular subject matter.
Last updated 19 December 2005
