Predation Capacity of the Banded Thrips Aeolothrips intermedius for the Biological Control of the Onion Thrips Thrips tabaci

Abstract

The onion thrips, Thrips tabaci, is a main insect pest for many field crops worldwide, with a particular preference for the species of the genus Allium. Aeolothrips intermedius is a banded thrips, whose larvae are considered the primary native predator of T. tabaci. Due of their predatory behaviour, A. intermedius larvae are considered a good candidate for biological control against thrips pests. However, limited information is available on the specific predation rate of A. intermedius against T. tabaci. The aim of our study was to evaluate the predatory efficiency of A. intermedius larvae against T. tabaci adults. Predation assays, performed under laboratory conditions, indicated that A. intermedius larvae begin to prey after an average of about 23 min, and the time taken by an A. intermedius larva to capture and subdue the prey until its death is about 26 min. Furthermore, the maximum number of prey that the A. intermedius larvae are able to kill in 12 h is up to eight adults of T. tabaci/A. intermedius larva.

Biological Control of Pests in Major Tropical Vegetable Crops: A Review

“…Biological control agents, such as predatory insects and mites, have been suggested as an eco-friendly approach to manage thrips pests. One such predator is the banded thrips Aeolothrips intermedius, whose larvae are considered the primary native predator of the onion thrips Thrips tabaci (Abenaim et al, 2022). Another potential predator is the minute pirate bug Orius insidiosus, which has been shown to be an effective control agent for thrips (Silva et al, 2023).…”