The wheat thrips (Haplothrips tritici) – pest management

The wheat thrips, Haplothrips tritici is a species reported in the late nineteenth century in the former Soviet Union and it is widespread in Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Description. The adult has a body that is 1.2-1.5 mm long, with hues from dark brown to black, the wings being narrow with one rib. The larva is orange-red, but the head, legs, and last abdominal segment are black.

Biology and ecology. The wheat thrips is a univoltine species, which produces one generation per year, developing from May to June-July of the following year, of which about 57 days are spent on the host plant and the remaining 309 in the soil. The female lays 20-22 eggs. The primary larvae appear in May-June on inflorescences, and the secondary ones after another 2-4 days. The larval density can be 10-70 specimens/spike, and the lifespan is 20-30 days.

Attacked plants and damages. The spike can be partially or completely destroyed, as the attack is manifested on the spike’s root (radial attack) or on the inflorescences (floral attack). The affected organs display withering, yellowing, or whitening, followed by changes in shape. The attack is stronger if the monitoring takes place later or it lasts much longer than normal and can cause the phenomenon known as whitening of the spikes (total or partial).

Control: The deep plowing at 20-25 cm ensures the destruction of 90% of the larvae that are hidden with the vegetal remains in the soil. Chemical treatments should be carried out with various approved products such as:

Recommended products

Read carefully and follow the instructions on the label of each product
×

We help you
to take care of your plants

If you haven't yet found solutions in our articles or previous discussions, start a new discussion and our experts will help you.

New discussion about

The wheat thrips (Haplothrips tritici) – pest management
The wheat thrips (Haplothrips tritici) – pest management

Your information:

Your name must contain a maximum of 30 characters. If you would like to pass on the details of the problem you are facing, please complete the other fields.

The maximum document size is 59 MB.

Add
It helps if you attach some Images or Clips maximumm 15 sec


Want to know more?

Our specialists participate in the discussions of the armuro community with useful information and solutions.
If you want, you can start a discussion about the problem you are facing.
Read the discussions