Bulletin of Insectology 62 (2): 253-255, 2009

ISSN 1721-8861

Host-plant ranges and pest potential:

habits of some thrips species in areas of southern Italy
Rita MARULLO
Dipartimento GESAF, Università degli Studi Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Italy

Abstract

Data on host-plant ranges are scanty for several thrips species. Published records often refer to collecting sites of adults that have
dispersed from their breeding sites. Thus there are difficulties in knowing the plants that are essential to population maintenance
for most Thysanoptera species. Despite this, different patterns of host exploitation permit a distinction between monophagous,
oligophagous and polyphagous species. Such biological differences can help in the identification of pest species, although some
thrips species are known to exhibit remarkable host shifts, such that they became pests on plants unrelated to their “natural” hosts.
In the present contribution, related to southern areas of Italy, the following species are reported: Neohydatothrips gracilicornis
becoming a pest on Pinaceae, and Drepanothrips reuteri on Quercus, also the polyphagous species Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis, a
pest on Citrus until a few years ago, has been supplanted by Pezothrips kellyanus in the intensive southern citrus orchards (Navel
orange, lemon and bergamot). At present H. haemorrhoidalis is expanding as a pest in forest areas. For each thrips species, data
on field observations and some aspects of their biology on the “new” hosts are provided and discussed.

Key words: host plant range, host shift, feeding behaviour, Drepanothrips reuteri, Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis, Neohydatothrips
gracilicornis.

Introduction example, Drepanothrips reuteri Uzel in Europe is largely

specific to Quercus (Bournier, 1983; Palmer, 1986; Ma-
Data available in the published literature on the host plant rullo, 2004b), although it is well known as a pest of grape
ranges of thrips species are often scanty. Such records of- vines in other parts of the world. Similarly, Neohydato-
ten refer only to winged adults (Berzosa, 1994), and these thrips gracilicornis (Williams) is generally considered
may have dispersed from their breeding sites on quite dif- host specific to Vicia species, but produces pest popula-
ferent plants. However, with such new plants they may tions on Pinaceae and Betulaceae in Spain and South Italy
establish different relationships, such as feeding, searching (Berzosa, 1981; Marullo, 1990; 2004b). The highly poly-
for suitable sites to lay eggs or to carry on part of their life phagous species, Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis (Bouchè)
cycle, or merely resting. Host exploitation occurs at dif- produces large natural populations on many unrelated
ferent levels, and we can distinguish monophagous, oligo- plants including Camellia, Citrus, Pinus and Dicksonia,
phagous and polyphagous species. With pest species it is although plants that are severely attacked are usually
important that we are able to distinguish between these growing sub-optimally (Mound, 2005). A recent study
different life-history strategies, although the biology of (Scott Brown and Simmonds, 2006) has demonstrated the
many species has not been studied exhaustively. Some influence of morphology of the leaf surface of plants in
biological features, and their variability within natural the selection of hosts by H. haemorrhoidalis. This thrips
populations, are often not considered and, consequently, species was known for several years as a pest of Citrus in
the “way” that a thrips species becomes a pest is un- the intensive orchards (Navel orange, lemon and berga-
known. Such features include host associations, transmis- mot) of south Italy (Calabria and Sicily), but in recent
sion of tospoviruses, threshold temperatures for develop- years it has been completely supplanted by Pezothrips
ment, adaptability in pupation site, and variability in the kellyanus (Bagnall) (Marullo, 2003).
length of larval life and body size at pupation (Mound, The objective of the present paper is to focus on the
2005). Polyphagous thrips species are more likely to be main features of the life history of the above thrips spe-
pest species than monophagous or oligophagous species cies based on field data, and to assess their “status” on
(Lewis, 1997; Marullo, 2004a; Moritz et al., 2004; the new host plants.
Mound, 2005). However, polyphagous species sometimes
produce localized strains with a strong attachment to a
particular plant species. Polyphagy and host range might Materials and methods
be related to availability of particular compounds in the
host plants (Terry, 1997), or such thrips species might be Samplings
unusually flexible in their feeding behaviour. On the host plants were carried out monthly from June
Not all populations of a polyphagous thrips species are 2004 to July 2005, and from March to the end of Octo-
necessarily pestiferous; sometimes they produce host- ber 2006, in two forest areas of southern Italy, Rocca-
limited strains, or are pests only in restricted geographical daspide (1000 m a.s.l., province of Salerno) and Gam-
areas. Similarly, some monophagous species exhibit re- barie (Aspromonte, 1200 m a.s.l., province of Reggio
markable host shifts, such that they become pests on Calabria). Samples were taken from leaves, branches
plants unrelated to their natural hosts (Mound, 1997). For and buds of Pinus spp. and Quercus spp., also from
plants and flowers, leaves and shoots of wild Fabaceae D. reuteri breeds on Vitis as well as on Quercus leaves
living in the two areas. Soil samples, including litter, and buds; larvae can be found during late spring
were also taken from around the sampled plants, to look (May/June), but adults feed on leaves until the end of
for the pre-imaginal stages (prepupa and pupa) of the September. Several specimens of immature stages (lar-
three species (D. reuteri, H. haemorrhoidalis, N. vae) and adults can live on leaves from spring until end
gracilicornis). Both litter and soil samples were “fil- of summer. No pre-imaginal specimens have been found
tered” through a set of sieves of decreasing mesh size on leaves; presumably pupation occurs in the soil or on
and the smallest part (including eventually pre-imaginal branches of the plants. Adults were found until Septem-
stages) was examined under a stereo microscope. ber and early autumn, instead prepupae and pupae
overwinter in soil or under branches. The species is
Laboratory studies univoltine. Quercus as well as Citrus is a host plant for
Adults and immature stages of the three studied spe- H. haemorrhoidalis. This thrips breeds on leaves, where
cies were mounted on slides for identification. Speci- young stages, larvae, and adults can be found from June
mens of larvae were mounted directly into Faure’s me- to July. In early autumn only adults are found and pre-
dium or Hoyer’s medium, instead adults in Berlese, not imaginal stages overwinter in the soil or on branches.
as permanent slides. Also on Quercus, this species has more than one genera-
tion per year.

Results
Discussion
Data from the field surveys are given in table 1. These
data may provide the “rebuilding” of the life history of The results focus on the host-associations of the three
the three thrips species referred to the investigated host thrips species and distinguish between:
plants. 1. The real host plants on which a thrips breeds and
N. gracilicornis breeds on plants of wild Vicia spp., maintains its populations - this knowledge requires
and also other wild Fabaceae, during spring and summer much field work over a long period of time;
(from end of March until July). Adults feed on flower 2. The feeding plant associations, that is those plants
and bud tissues but also on leaves during full summer used by thrips only for feeding activity;
(end of July and August). Larvae develop mainly in the 3. Host-shifts associated with a change in host plant
flowers of the Fabaceae host plants, but no pre-imaginal associations.
specimens were collected from flowers, buds or leaves Field data indicate that Pinus needles cannot be used
of Vicia plants. However, a few prepupal specimens by N. gracilicornis for breeding, because no larvae were
were extracted from soil samples, and this suggests that collected on these plants, but only adults as feeders; lar-
the larvae of this species fall into the soil for pupation vae were not found either on young or on senescent
(the superficial layers of soil). Surveys on Pinus plants leaves. Adults and the feeding damage they cause were
found adult but no larval thrips on the leaves (needles), associated with dried or stressed Pinus and Picea trees.
in all samples taken from September until February. The These observations are in accordance with studies by
available data suggest that N. gracilicornis is univoltine Fennah (1963; 1965) regarding thrips feeding sites and
and overwinters as prepupa and pupa living in litter or the nutritional status of host plant leaves. Characteristic
amongst plant debris in the soil. patterns of thrips can be seen on individual leaves ac-

Table 1. Field surveys referred to three thrips species and their host plants.
Host-plants B r e e d i n g F e e d i n g
Thrips species family and Development Development
Sites Month Sites Month
genus stages stages
Fabaceae flowers eggs, larvae, from March flowers
adults June and July
Neohydatothrips Vicia buds adults to September and leaves
gracilicornis Pinaceae from September
leaves adults
Pinus, Picea to February
young leaves
Vitaceae from March from May
leaves eggs, larvae and tips adults
Drepanothrips Vitis to June to July
or buds of buds
reuteri
Fagaceae young May and from June
eggs, larvae leaves adults
Quercus leaves June to September
eggs, larvae,
Rutaceae from May August and
leaves prepupae and leaves adults
Citrus to July September
Heliothrips pupae, adults
haemorrhoidalis eggs, larvae,
Fagaceae June and from September
leaves prepupae and leaves adults
Quercus July to October
pupae, adults

254
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