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| Photo Credit: Dr. Lance Osborne |
| Chilli thrips are so small, it’s impossible to detect them with the naked eye. |
Watch out gardeners. There’s a new thrip in town – and it’s downright destructive. This pest attacks all kinds of plants, from ornamentals to edibles, stunting their growth and leaving them less than desirable to look at.
The new offender to US soil is the chilli thrip, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood. The damaging insect was first discovered in Florida back in 1991, but no established population was found until it was confirmed on roses in Palm Beach County in 2005. Since then, this pest has been found throughout Florida in both the landscape and at production facilities; in the landscape around Houston, TX; and most recently at two wholesale nurseries in Georgia, according to Dr. Scott Ludwig, Extension Program Specialist III – IPM, Texas AgriLife Extension Service.
What makes this thrip so different from the more typical Western flower thrip is the fact this pest feasts on foliage – especially young leaves. “In Florida, [chilli thrips are] hammering homeowners big time,” Scott says. “They like young, developing tissues, so it’s hitting right there in the growing tips of plants – feeding on developing buds or flowers. And that can completely stunt plants and shut down terminal growth. Flowers can open deformed – or not open at all – and the foliage comes out very ‘crinkly.’”
In fact, it’s this unsightly damage that often tips off an infestation. “When I’ve found this [pest] in retail stores, it hasn’t been by walking around with a hand lens and looking,” Scott adds. “It’s very visible in terms of damage caused on the foliage of plants.”
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| Photo Credit: Dr. Lance Osborne |
| While chilli thrips don’t kill their host plant, they can decimate its appearance. |
Unfortunately, by the time the damage is visible, the offending chilli thrip might have moved onto other plants. Because the pest is so small, it’s nearly impossible to identify infested plants early enough to prevent damage. The danger here is that affected plants could unwittingly be shipped around the country to establish new populations. While chilli thrips aren’t likely to overwinter in the colder climates of the North, the region’s warm summer months could allow for several damaging generations of the pest to develop. And just a few generations can decimate the look of a landscape, as well as crop yields.
Researchers have already identified more than 100 chilli thrip host plants, and they’re discovering additional ones as more about this pest is learned. Some common ornamental hosts include camellia, celosia, chrysanthemum, coleus, crape myrtle, dahlia, euonymus, geranium, gerber daisy, Japanese holly, ligustrum, lisianthus, maple, Mexican heather, petunia, pittosporum, poinsettia, rhododendron, rose, snapdragon, sweet basil, verbena, viburnum and zinnia. Orchard crops and other edibles that are susceptible to chilli thrips include asparagus, beans, cashews, cherries, citrus, figs, grapes, habanero peppers, strawberries and tomatoes.
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| Facts |
- In the US, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood is primarily known by the name “chilli thrip,” because the pest hits chilis so hard. (The British spelling was also adopted.) In other parts of the world, chilli thrips may be referred to as castor thrips, assam thrips, yellow tea thrips or strawberry thrips.
- Chilli thrips can complete their life cycle in just 14-20 days. Researchers have figured that parts of Florida, Arizona, California, Texas and Nevada could support 18 generations a year, and most Gulf Coast states could get as many as 14 generations a year. While much of the country gets too cold to allow pest populations to establish themselves permanently, there’s potential for damage anywhere temperatures could support more than one generation of chilli thrips a year.
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| Faqs |
- Q: Where else are chilli thrips found?
A: These pests can also be found in Hawaii, Puerto Rico and parts of the Caribbean, as well as in Asia, Africa, eastern Europe and Oceania.
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| Resources |
- If you suspect chilli thrip damage in your garden and are looking for a variety of photos illustrating damage on all kinds of plants, check out the Mid-Florida Research & Education Center and University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences’ Website.
Read More... - If you’ve got plants with any type of pests or disease troubles but you’re not quite sure what those pests are, ask your local Cooperative Extension office to help diagnose the problem. Visit the USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service’s Website to find the Cooperative Extension office in your county.
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