Invasive Pest, <I>Thrips parvispinus</i> (Karny) (thysanoptera: Thripidae) – A Looming Threat to Indian Agriculture
R. R. Rachana, P. Roselin, M. Amutha, K. Sireesha, G. Narasa Reddy
Abstract
The status and spread of notoriously destructive and invasive pest, Thrips parvispinus (Karny) (Thysanoptera: Terebrantia: Thripidae) on agriculturally important crops after its first report from India is reported. Description of the species and illustrations of its diagnostic characters are provided to facilitate identification. Since 2015, this species has been collected from nine host plants belonging to seven families from five Indian states, viz. Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The establishment of this thrips species warrants special attention in India as it is a potentially damaging plant pest and has a wide host range across various plant families. Unless successful quarantine measures are put in place, the spread and subsequent depredations of cultivated crops is inevitable.