Greenhouse Rearing of Citrus Thrips Scirtothrips citri for Experimental Testing12

Abstract

Successful propagation of California sumac shrubs, Rhus laurina (Nutt.), in an environmentally controlled greenhouse regimen, provided an excellent factitious host for large scale rearing of the citrus thrips, Scirtothrips citri (Moulton). Peak population levels for immature and adult life stages per shrub were ca. 2500 and 515, respectively, during a 4 week infestation cycle.