Tobacco thrips

Frankliniella fusca

Frankliniella fusca is wingless in its larval, prepupal, and pupal stages. The larvae are very light yellow, and the prepupa and pupa are yellow as well. According to Wells et al. (2002), there are two different wing morphs identified for adult tobacco thrips: macropterous and brachypterous. The macropterous morph possesses normal wings, while wings are either absent or nonfunctioning in the brachypterous morph. Adult thrips in the family Thripidae are typically 1-2 mm in length. Females are usually brown or black and the males are yellow, having eight segmented antennae.

Damage: Feeding by the adults and larvae is not known to inflict economic damage on tomato or pepper. However, tobacco thrips vector TSWV, the key disease of tomato, pepper, and other crops in northern Florida. The transmission of TSWV results in unmarketable fruit. Problems with the disease are less severe in central and southern Florida.

 

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