Tobacco Thrips

Thrips tabaci

1. Identification

• Common name: Onion thrips
• Scientific name: Thrips tabaci Lindeman
• Order: Thysanoptera
• Family: Thripidae

2. Pest description

• Small-sized thrips species (approx. 1 mm), with a narrow body and yellowish to brown coloration.
• Pale nymphs, present mainly on young leaves and flowers.
• Feeds by rasping plant tissues and sucking the cell contents.
• Highly polyphagous pest, of great economic importance in vegetable and ornamental crops.
• Efficient vector of viruses, including Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV) and Iris Yellow Spot Virus (IYSV).

3. Main hosts

• Onion, leek and other Allium crops.
• Tobacco, tomato, pepper, cucumber and other vegetable crops.
• Various ornamentals.
• Volunteer plants that act as a reservoir.

4. Symptoms and damage

• Silvering and discoloration of leaves due to epidermal rasping.
• Deformations on young leaves and flowers.
• Scars, spots and a “russeting” appearance on fruits and leaves.
• Reduction in commercial quality and plant vigour.
• Damage aggravated by virus transmission.

5. Biological cycle

• Eggs inserted into plant tissues.
• Nymphs feed actively on leaves and flowers.
• Pre-pupa and pupa in the soil or in plant debris.
• Rapid cycle under hot and dry conditions, allowing multiple generations per year.
• High dispersal and colonization capacity, especially in greenhouses.

6. Monitoring

• Direct observation of symptoms and insects on young leaves and flowers.
• Blue or yellow sticky traps for detection and counting.
• Regular sampling in sensitive crops, especially Allium and Solanaceae crops.
• Reinforced monitoring during dry and hot periods.

7. Management measures

• Cultural: removal of plant residues; control of volunteer plants; adequate ventilation in greenhouses.
• Preventive: use of pest-free plants; insect-proof nets; strict cultural hygiene.
• Biological: release of predatory mites (Amblyseius swirskii, A. cucumeris) and predatory bugs (Orius spp.).
• Integrated protection: judicious application of authorized insecticides; rotation of modes of action; integration with biological control.

Bibliographic references

• EPPO Global Database – Thrips tabaci
• CABI – Invasive Species Compendium – Thrips tabaci
• Kirk, W. D. J. (1997). Feeding behaviour and nutritional requirements of thrips. In: Thrips as Crop Pests.
• Mound, L. A. & Teulon, D. A. J. (1995). Thysanoptera as phytophagous pests. Annual Review of Entomology.
• Gent, D. H. et al. (2006). Iris yellow spot virus and Thrips tabaci: a damaging interaction in Allium crops. Plant Disease.