Bionomics and Management of Major Thrips Species on Agricultural Crops in Africa

Abstract

Several thrips species are known to cause serious damage to agricultural crops in Africa. However, only five species of the family Thripidae are considered as economic pests, namely, Frankliniella schultzei (Trybom), Megalurothrips sjostedti (Trybom), Scirtothrips aurantii Faure, Sericothrips adolfifriderici Karny and Thrips tabaci (Lindeman). Nymphs and adult thrips suck the sap from leaf buds, leaves, flower buds, flowers and fruits, which become deformed or remain underdeveloped, often showing scars. Some species act as major vectors of viral plant diseases. Current pest-control practices include using resistant plant varieties, biological agents, cultural operations and chemical pesticides. However, more information is needed to formulate an effective, low-cost and eco-friendly pest-management strategy that can be adopted sustainably in the existing agricultural framework.