Page 27 - Griffin Gazette - July 2025

Figure 1: Female (top and bottom left) and male Figure 2: Pepper Thrips scarring on petunia bloom (left) and
female adult feeding on dahlia blooms (right).
(bottom right) Pepper Thrips, Photo Credit: UF, IFAS;
https://mrec.ifas.ufl.edu /lsolab/thrips/thrips-parvispinus/

T. parvispinus prefers tender young growth but will also feed on flowers and fruit (Figure 2). Similar to Western Flower Thrips,
feeding damage to leaves, buds, and flowers causes abnormal growth. Additionally, Pepper Thrips can cause dwarfed growing
tips that can mimic broad mite damage in some cases, depending on the plant species. They are difficult to find on foliage due
to their size and ability to hide in the deformed growth, but are easily spotted on the flowers of tropical ornamentals, where they
can be found inside the flower or hiding between overlapping petals. Scouting tools should include a good hand lens and a white
sheet of paper on a clipboard to conduct a beat test. As with other thrips species, yellow or blue sticky cards are also effective
at detecting their presence (Figure 3). Inspecting, isolating, and treating incoming material appropriately either through dipping or
spraying is imperative to limiting the spread of this pest within the production area.

Figure 3: Yellow and blue sticky tape (left) and yellow sticky cards (right) can be used to mass trap and
scout for thrips and other flying insects, respectively.

Crop Protection Strategies
Recent research conducted by the University of Florida, US Dept of Ag, and Cornell University tested a wide range of pesticides
for efficacy against Pepper Thrips (Ataide et al., 2024, https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15010048). In the study, mortality and
leaf feeding damage were quantitatively assessed separately for adult thrips and their two larval stages (L1 & L2). This detail
provides strong insight into the action of the insecticides tested. The relative tiers of chemical efficacy below are based on the
mortality ratings within this academic study, which is the best information currently available. The pool of grower case studies is
quickly increasing and will help us in adding information toward effective spray and drench strategies over the coming seasons.

GRIFFIN GAZETTE 2025 | 27