New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science abstracts

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Responses of New Zealand flower thrips (Thrips obscuratus) to synthetic and natural stimuli (odour and colour) in a wind tunnel

N. Berry
R. C. Butler
D. A. J. Teulon

New Zealand Institute for Crop & Food Research Limited
Private Bag 4704
Christchurch, New Zealand
email: teulond@crop.cri.nz

Abstract The flight responses of female New Zealand flower thrips (Thrips obscuratus, Thysanoptera: Thripidae) to colour (white plastic container), odour (ethyl nicotinate), and to a white Gardenia flower were examined in a wind tunnel with an average airspeed of 0.12 m/s. In the absence of odour, the main response of thrips to the white plastic colour cue was increased flight overall and an increase in upwind flight in the direction of that cue. The main response to the synthetic ethyl nicotinate odour was a reduction in the proportion of thrips taking flight. This was most apparent in the presence of the colour cue. The response was similar, but less pronounced, with the flower as the odour cue. Overall, odour did not affect the proportion of thrips making upwind flight. Ethyl nicotinate may have had a stronger effect on thrips flight than flower odour, because the proportion of thrips taking flight in the presence of ethyl nicotinate did not increase to the same extent with the addition of a colour cue compared to the flower odour. Although these results broadly match other research in this area, more research is needed to better understand the behavioural response of thrips to odour and colour cues and the interaction between these two stimuli.
Keywords Thrips obscuratus; New Zealand flower thrips; wind tunnel; flight behaviour; ethyl nicotinate; Gardenia flower

New Zealand Journal of Crop and Horticultural Science, 2006, Vol. 34: 121–129
0014–0671/06/3402–0121      © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2006
H05094; Online publication date 12 April 2006. Received 17 August 2005; accepted 3 February 2006

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