BeneficialBanded palm thrips
European minute pirate bug for banded palm thrips
Orius laevigatus · predatory bug
Against banded palm thrips
The RHS names Orius laevigatus as a biological control for thrips in glasshouses, the setting where banded palm thrips attacks palms, ficus and other tough-leaved plants. No trial against this species was found, so treat it as general thrips advice and pair it with predatory mites on the foliage.
Rate0.5–1 /m² preventive; 5–10 /m² on hot spots (the site's rate; none published for this species)
TimingUnder glass, 18–25 °C
TemperatureBest 18–25 °C (Koppert: above 20 °C); minimum 15 °C; less effective above 30 °C
macro · european minute pirate bug on banded palm thrips
The pestBanded palm thripsParthenothrips dracaenaeDull, silvered leaves with dark varnish-like specksFull pest profile →Before you order
Released into flowering greenhouse crops against thrips. It eats every stage including adults and survives on pollen between prey. Its suppliers are European; Koppert's US range carries Orius insidiosus instead. How it works, how to tell it has established and the supplier list are on the full Orius laevigatus profile.
Release calculator
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Other controls for banded palm thrips
- Amblyseius cucumerisPredatory mite · 10–50 mites per plant, weekly, or sachets (UC IPM rate for western flower thrips; none published for this species)
- Amblyseius swirskiiPredatory mite · 25–100 /m² per release (the site's swirskii rate; none published for this species)