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Quarantine host range testing of P seudophilothrips ichini , a potential biological control agent of B razilian peppertree, S chinus terebinthifolia , in N orth A merica and H awaii
Author(s) -
Wheeler Gregory S.,
Manrique Veronica,
Overholt William A.,
McKay Fernando,
Dyer Kirsten
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
entomologia experimentalis et applicata
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.765
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1570-7458
pISSN - 0013-8703
DOI - 10.1111/eea.12506
Subject(s) - biology , weed , quarantine , thrips , host (biology) , biological pest control , pest analysis , anacardiaceae , horticulture , toxicology , botany , ecology
Brazilian peppertree, S chinus terebinthifolia R addi ( A nacardiaceae), is an invasive weed of natural and agricultural areas of Florida, Hawaii, and Texas ( USA ). Biological control presents an environmentally safe and cost‐effective control method for invasive populations of this weed. Though many potential agents have been tested for specificity, nearly all have been rejected due to a broad host range. However, one species, a thrips P seudophilothrips ichini ( H ood) ( T hysanoptera: P hlaeothripidae), shows promise from field observations and quarantine host range tests. A series of no‐choice, choice, and multiple‐generation tests was conducted on 127 plant taxa (including five mango and four pistachio varieties) from 45 families and 33 orders. In no‐choice starvation tests, the thrips fed and produced offspring on the target weed (124 F 1 adults per plant), whereas no or few (<4 F 1 adults per plant) were obtained on non‐target species. The primary exception was another exotic invasive tree S chinus molle L., on which an average 20 F 1 thrips adults were produced. No‐choice tests indicated that small numbers of F 1 offspring were produced on nine other non‐target plant species. The numbers of F 1 offspring produced on these plants were <3% of those produced on the target weed. In choice tests, on average two or fewer F 1 adults were produced on four non‐target species tested, compared with 64 F 1 adults on the target weed. Multiple‐generation tests indicated that three generations of thrips were maintained only on the target weed and S . molle with no differences between these two plant species or across generations. Thus, this thrips species has a narrow host range that includes the two invasive S chinus spp. tested here. If released, the thrips P . ichini will constitute safe and potentially effective biological control of Brazilian peppertree in North America and Hawaii.