Western flower thrips on pepper
On pepper the damage is scarring of the fruit from feeding. Pepper is also where the evidence for Orius is best: in UF/IFAS work on Orius insidiosus in Florida fields, one minute pirate bug to about 180 thrips suppressed the population and one to about 40–50 (UF/IFAS publications give both figures) held it below the economic threshold. Koppert advises starting releases as soon as the first thrips are found.
At a glance
- Damage
- Silvered scars, black frass specks, flecked petals
- Type
- Sap feeding · virus vector
- Settings
- Under glass, Field, Garden, Indoors
- Threshold
- 5–10 per card per week (greenhouse)
- Release
- Orius insidiosus
- Rate
- 0.5–10 /m² per release, repeated once or twice
How to confirm it
Tap flowers or shoot tips over white paper: slender insects under 2 mm that run rather than jump. Look for black varnish-like specks in the silvered patches. Naming the species for certain takes an expert with a microscope.
Identification, lifecycle, degree days and every control option are on the full Western flower thrips profile. Not sure it is this pest? Answer four questions about the damage.
Work it out
How many do I need?
Carries Orius insidiosus and pepper through so nothing is re-entered. Open the calculator →