Original scientific paper

Pezothrips kellyanus (Bagnall, 1916) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) – a new citrus pest in Croatia

Mladen Šimala orcid.org/0000-0002-4094-4896 ; Hrvatski centar za poljoprivredu, hranu i selo, Zavod za zaštitu bilja, Zagreb
Maja Pintar ; Hrvatski centar za poljoprivredu, hranu i selo, Zavod za zaštitu bilja, Zagreb
Tatjana Masten Milek ; Hrvatski centar za poljoprivredu, hranu i selo, Zavod za zaštitu bilja, Zagreb
Vjekoslav Markotić ; Hrvatski centar za poljoprivredu, hranu i selo, Zavod za zaštitu bilja, Zagreb

Abstract

Kelly's citrus thrips [Pezothrips kellyanus (Bagnall, 1916)] was found for the first time in Croatia in orange plantation in Komiža (N 43°02'40" E 16°05'30.4"), than in mixed cultivation of orange, lemon and grapefruit in Hvar (N 43°10'19.7" E 16°26'13.5"), as well as in mixed plantation of orange and mandarin in Kaštel Kambelovac (N 43°33'10.5" E 16°22'56.09") in 2016. Species was detected during survey of quarantine thrips species from genus Scirtothrips Shull, 1909 in citrus orchards. Visual inspections and thrips sampling were conducted during flowering and at the beginning of fruit development. Thrips were collected by beating of citrus branches. Also, citrus flowers and young fruits were collected during visual inspections for subsequent laboratory analysis. Modified Berlese funnels method was used for extraction of thrips from samples of plant material in laboratory. Thrips from collected samples were identified to the species level on the basis of morphological characters of adult females, using the classical identification method according to relevant morphological keys. P. kellyanus is a polyphagous thrips species, living in flowers of different plant families. It became an economic pest in citrus plantations in Australia, New Zealand and some Mediterranean countries. All citrus species can be attacked, but lemons, orange and grapefruit are particularly susceptible. Mandarin is less frequently attacked, which was confirmed during survey conducted in 2015 and 2016, since species P. kellyanus was not recorded in any monoculture mandarin plantation. Thrips feeding on immature fruit causes a silvery, ring like scars on the fruit surface, mainly around the calyx area. Infested fruits are considered unacceptable for the market, though the presence of the scars affects only the appearance and not the quality of the fruit.

Keywords

Thysanoptera; Pezothrips kellyanus; citrus; Croatia; first record

Hrčak ID:

192834

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/192834

Publication date:

1.11.2017.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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