AN INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT APPROACH TO CONTROL OF WESTERN FLOWER THRIPS (FRANKLINIELLA OCCIDENTALIS).

Experiments were conducted to investigate the feasibility of biological control measures to control Western Flower Thrips. Thrips population and preferred trap color were examined using sticky trap tapes in 5 fluorescent colors, orange, yellow, green, blue and pink. Results indicated that pink is more effective in attracting thrips than the traditional yellow or the newly acclaimed blue sticky traps on the market now. Studies were also conducted to determine if the entomogenous nematode (Steinernema feltiae) could invade and parasitize Western Flower Thrips, and which stage of the thrips life cycle was most susceptible to parasitization. Thrips were dissected and checked for nematode invasion at 24, 48 and 72 hours after inoculation. S. feltiae was found to invade the body cavity after 24 hours in the larval stage of Western Flower Thrips resulting in death.