The main open-field producer regions of cucurbits (watermelon, squash, melon and cucumber) in Panama (Los Santos, Herrera and Coclé provinces) were surveyed for molecular identification, occurrence and distribution of Thrips palmi (the most important pest thrip species on cucurbits in Panama), Frankliniella intonsa and Frankliniella cephalica during the growing seasons of 2009 to 2013 and 2017 to 2018. Forty plots were surveyed and DNA extracts of 186 thrips (larvae and adults) were analyzed by multiplex PCR, using a set of T. palmi-specific primers in combination with a set of insect-universal primers. DNA extracts corresponding to 174 individual thrips (93.5%) rendered both PCR products of expected size with T. palmi-specific and insect-universal primers, whereas the remaining DNA extracts corresponding to 12 individual thrips (6.5%) only rendered the product of the expected size with insect-universal primers. Sequencing of those PCR products and BLAST analysis allowed for the identification of F. intonsa and F. cephalica. Thrips palmi was detected in all three provinces, while F. intonsa and F. cephalica were detected in Herrera and Los Santos provinces. To our knowledge, this is not only the first detection of F. intonsa in Panama, but also the first detection of F. cephalica in Panamanian cucurbit crops.

Studies on the relative toxicity of different bio-rational insecticides against second instar larvae and adults of onion thrips, Thrips tabaci were carried out on Experimental Farm and in the laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Suez Canal. Eight insecticides Dipel 2x, BioFly, Agrin, BioGuard, Spinosad, Neemix, Mectin and Match were all evaluated for their relative toxicity towards T. tabaci with recommended dose, half of recommended dose and quarter of recommended dose in the laboratory and only recommended dose under field conditions. Spinosad was the most toxic among the tested insecticides followed by Mectin, Match and Agrin when used against thrips adults. The respective values of LC₅₀ of those insecticides were 0.048 cm/l, 0.070 cm/l, 0.079 cm/l and 0.137 g/l. Also, Spinosad was the most effective insecticide against second instar larvae followed descendingly by: Agrin, Match and Dipel 2x. Toxicity index values at LC₅₀ level show such superior efficiency of Spinosad (100%) when applied against adults and second instar larvae of onion thrips under labora tory conditions. All insecticides under field conditions caused reduction of infestations of thrips. For the residual effect post application, all insecticides gave significant reductions in thrips numbers at the 21 day post treatment except for: Agrin and Match. Spinosad, Mectin, Neemix and BioFly gave the best control and continued to suppress thrips populations till 21 days after treatment. Spinosad was non harmful and Dipel 2x, Agrin were slightly harmful, BioGuard was significantly harmful whereas BioFly, Match and Mectin were very harmful to Orius albidipennis.

In 1999-2001 the occurrence of thrips was analysed on seven cultivars of pea. The samples of leaves, then leaves and flower buds and the flowers were collected from plots. The analyses were initiated when the earliest cultivar (Sześciotygodniowy) began flowering and were repeated every 4-7 days, until the end of flowering. The following species of th rips were found: Franklinie/la intonsa Trybom, Thrips major Uzel, Thrips fuscipennis Hal., Thrips tabaci Lind. and Kakothrips robustus Uzel. The clear differences between the number of thrips on the particular cul tivars of pea were noticed. The most attractive were late cultivars Nike and Telefon as well as middle late Delisa II. It seems that the most important factor effecting on the number of thrips on particular cultivars was rather the start and the end of flowering than the length of the flowering period. The greatest number of thrips was noticed on flowers, from 50% to 77%. The thrips initially were found on leaves and then, as the pea was growing, on the flower buds and flowers. After the emergence of thrips, the analyses should be first initiated on leaves.

In presented studies not significant effect of the illumination of blue sticky traps with red pulsating light on their effectiveness in the monitoring of the western flower thrips (Franklinie/la occidentalis Pergande) was found. Observed increase of the number of caught imagines on lighted blue sticky traps was not statistically significant in comparison to the control combination (blue sticky traps without any light).

The article presents an ecological characterization of thrips caught in Moericke traps in the Botanical Garden in Lublin. The objective of the research was to study the species composition and abundance of thrips in a man-made environment, where alongside native plants there are also trees and bushes brought in from other parts of the world. A total of 396 adult Thysanoptera individuals belonging to 39 species were caught. This is 17.2% of the thrip fauna in Poland. Among the individuals collected there were 10 dendrophilous species and 3 mycophagous species associated with tree bark and living in rotting wood. This is 25% of the Thysanoptera occurring in Poland with these food preferences. The trap method chosen is effective at catching thrips appearing in the spring and early summer, i.e. Taeniothrips inconsequens, Thrips minutissimus, Oxythrips ajugae and O. bicolor, as well as deeply hidden species that are difficult to capture using other methods. Using the Moericke trap method we collected four species rarely recorded in Poland.

The excessive use of chemical products to control thrips and the tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is not only harmful to human health, the environment, and biodiversity, but also the resistance these generate in insects turns them inefficient in the long run. Consequently, to achieve sustainable and residue-free production, control alternatives must be explored. This work proposes the use of Beauveria bassiana (BB) in combination with inter-row cover (IC) to reduce the population of thrips and the incidence of TSWV on bell pepper. For this purpose, a trial was carried out in a bell pepper greenhouse, consisting of four randomly distributed treatments with four repetitions of 66 plants each. The treatments assayed were: T (without BB inoculation or IC), TC (without BB inoculation and with IC), B (inoculated with BB), and BC (inoculated with BB and IC). The B. bassiana CEP147 strain was used based on its effectiveness in previous laboratory tests. After detecting one thrips per flower, five foliar spray applications were made at weekly intervals. The trial lasted 4 months. During this time, the number of thrips in the three central plants of each repetition, the presence of symptoms compatible with TSWV, as well as the number of fruits, and their weight, length, width and health were monitored weekly. Between the fourth and sixth weeks after the last application, a significant reduction in the population of total thrips (nymphs + + adults) was observed in both treatments B and BC compared to T and TC. In addition, plants with symptoms compatible with TSWV were very scarce, and the fruits showed significant differences in their quality parameters, producing the longest and heaviest in the BC treatment. The results showed that combining biological and cultural control makes sustainable pepper production possible.

The paper present results from the studies carried out in the years 1999-2000 on the effectiveness of seed dressing of spring barley with the insecticide Gaucho 350 FS (a.i. irnidachloprid) to control frit flies, gout flies, aphids and thrips in piedmont conditions.