ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Agron.
Sec. Pest Management
This article is part of the Research TopicNew Integrated Pest Management: Emerging OpportunitiesView all 4 articles
Biological Control of the Invasive Thrips parvispinus (Karny) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) Using Entomopathogenic Nematodes
Provisionally accepted
- University of Florida Tropical Research and Education Center, Homestead, United States
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Thrips parvispinus (Karny) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is an invasive pest increasingly affecting ornamental production in Florida, with a rapid expansion in North America, Europe, and Africa. Current management relies heavily on chemical control, highlighting the need for more sustainable alternatives, such as entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs). We evaluated six EPN species (Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, Heterorhabditis indica, Steinernema carpocapsae, Steinernema riobrave, Steinernema feltiae, and Steinernema kraussei) under laboratory conditions, using a rate of 200 IJ/cm2. Subsequently, the four best-performing species (H. bacteriophora, H. indica, S. carpocapsae, and S. riobrave) were further tested under greenhouse conditions using mandevilla plants and soil applications at a rate of 100 IJ/cm2. Trials were Field Code Changed Field Code Changed Field Code Changed Field Code Changed Field Code Changed Field Code Changed Field Code Changed conducted at 27 °C, reflecting the average temperatures of the ornamental growing and shipping seasons in southern Florida, while applications targeted the prepupal and pupal soil-dwelling stages of the pest. Observations of the surviving adults were recorded. In laboratory trials, the application of H. bacteriophora, S. riobrave, H. indica, and S. carpocapsae reduced the recovery adult thrips by 20 - 36% compared to controls. Greenhouse trials demonstrated reductions in all treatments where EPNs were applied, with reductions of up to 60% in adult recovery in S. riobrave and S. carpocapsae. Environmental factors, including warm temperatures and low substrate moisture, helped explain the EPN performance, favoring warm-adapted and desiccation-tolerant species. This is the first report demonstrating EPN efficacy against T. parvispinus, suggesting its potential for integration as an alternative tool within IPM programs.
Keywords: Integrated Pest Management, Steinermena, Heterorhabditis, Ornamental crops, Mandevilla
Received: 02 Sep 2025; Accepted: 05 Dec 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Vargas, Ataide, Velazquez-Hernandez, De Giosa and Revynthi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
German Vargas
Alexandra M. Revynthi
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