[Supplementary Material] Population fluctuations of thrips (Thysanoptera) and their relationship to the phenology of vegetable crops in the central region of Mexico

The presence of thrips in vegetable crops has become an important phytosanitary issue in Mexico. Their direct injuries to plants are the result of the feeding by their immature and adult stages, whereas their indirect injuries are caused by the transmission of various viruses. The objective of this study was to identify the species of thrips associated with 6 vegetable crops in order to determine their population fluctuations and to ascertain the effects of temperature and rainfall on their populations. Samples were collected from zucchini, onion, pepper, cucumber, tomato, and tomatillo in Puebla and Morelos from Feb 2010 to Feb 2011. Three species were identified: Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on all vegetables, Frankliniella fortissima (Priesner) on zucchini and cucumber, and Thrips tabaci (Lindeman) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on onion and pepper. The highest population level for thrips coincided with the presence of flowers on the crops, except in the case of onion. In general, 2 to 6 generations of thrips were present in each crop cycle, and the levels of populations decreased when the plants were near senescence. The main suppressive effect of weather on thrips populations was caused by rainfall. Resumen La presencia de trips en cultivos horticolas es un importante tema fitosanitario en Mexico. Sus danos directos hacia plantas son el resultado de la alimentacion de los estados inmaduros y adultos, mientras que sus danos indirectos son causados por la transmision de varios virus. El objetivo de este estudio fue identificar las especies de trips asociadas con 6 cultivos horticolas a fin de conocer su fluctuacion poblacional y comprobar los efectos de la temperatura y precipitacion en sus poblaciones. Las muestras fueron colec­tadas en calabacitas, cebolla, pimiento, pepino, tomate y tomate de cascara en Puebla y Morelos, de Feb 2010 a Feb 2011. Se iden­tificaron tres especies: Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) en todos los cultivos, Frankliniella fortissima (Priesner) en calabacita y pepino, y Thrips tabaci (Lindeman) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) en cebolla y pimiento. El nivel poblacional mas alto para los trips coincidio con la presencia de flores en los cultivos, excepto en cebolla. En general de 2– 6 generaciones de trips se presentaron en cada ciclo de cultivo y los niveles poblacionales disminuyeron en plantas cercanas a la senescencia. La preci­pitacion fue el principal efecto climatico supresivo de la poblacion de trips.