Mitigating Export Risks Associated with Bean Thrips

Bean thrips is a contaminant of exported navel oranges and mandarins which triggers quarantines in Australia and New Zealand. This project will investigate the cumulative effects cold stress experienced prior to fruit harvest and then in shipping containers on bean thrips fitness. It is unknown how bean thrips aggregate to form overwintering clusters inside navels. Male thrips have large glands that may release aggregation pheromones. If so, this could be used for monitoring and control. Identification of sites from which bean thrips migrate into orchards could provide targeted cultural control/monitoring options.