THE ASSOCIATION OF FRANKLINIELLA OCCIDENTALIS (PERGANDE) (THYSANOPTERA: THRIPIDAE) WITH GREENHOUSE CROPS AND THE TOMATO SPOTTED WILT VIRUS IN ONTARIO

Abstract

The western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), occurs from sea level to subalpine altitudes in western North America (Bryan and Smith 1956). Until recently, it was assumed that this species was found primarily west of the Rocky Mountains and that Frankliniella tritici (Fitch), the eastern flower thrips, was the dominant flower thrips in both eastern Canada and United States. Beshear (1983) reported F. occidentalis on cotton, peas, beans, and peanuts in Georgia. The following year, in the Niagara Peninsula of Ontario, the tomato spotted wilt virus caused extensive crop losses to greenhousegrown tomatoes and ornamentals. The virus-vector was identified as F. occidentalis (Allen and Broadbent 1986). Previously, F. fusca was the only known vector of tomato spotted wilt virus in Ontario and the eastern provinces (Paliwal 1974, 1976).