First report of the pepper thrips Thrips parvispinus (Karny) in Costa Rica

Jesus Alexander Rodríguez-Arrieta, Andres Barrientos-Castro, Jonathan Masís-Arce, Ingrid Varela-Benavides

Abstract


Background: The accidental invasive insects pose a growing threat to agricultural productivity and food security worldwide. Objective: To report for the first time the pepper thrips Thrips parvispinus in Costa Rica. Methodology: Specimens were collected from May to October 2024 in commercial crops Capsicum annuum, Citrus sinensis, Coriandrum sativum, Cucumis sativus, and ornamental Croton spp. in the western region of the country, encompassing both protected environments and greenhouses. The thrips identification was carried out using external morphological characteristics and partial sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. Results: Morphological and molecular analyses confirmed the species identity of T. parvispinus. Implications: The observed damage included feeding scars on young leaves, margin curling, necrosis of foliar tissue, and floral deformation; with relevant implications for the health of these crops in Costa Rica. Conclusion: The detection of this invasive species represents a phytosanitary concern in Central America and underscores the necessity for continuous monitoring and implementation of effective insect management strategies throughout the region.

Keywords


invasive species; crop thrips; taxonomic identification; plant health; exotic species

Full Text:

PDF

References


Adobe Inc., 2024. Adobe Photoshop (Version 25.0) [Computer software]. Adobe Inc. https://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop.html

Ahmed, M.Z., Roberts, J.W., Soto?Adames, F.N., McKenzie, C.L. and Osborne, L.S., 2024. Global invasion of Thrips parvispinus (Karny) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) across three continents associated with its one haplotype. Journal of Applied Entomology, pp. 237–247. https://doi.org/10.1111/jen.13376

Ataide, L.M.S., Vargas, G., Velazquez-Hernández, Y., Reyes-Arauz, I., Villamarin, P., Canon, M.A., Yang, X., Riley, S. and Revynthi, A.M., 2024. Efficacy of conventional and biorational insecticides against the invasive pest Thrips parvispinus (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) under containment conditions. Insects, 15(48), pp. 48. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects15010048

Bragard, C., Dehnen?Schmutz, K., Di Serio, F., Gonthier, P., Jacques, M., Jaques Miret, J.A., Fejer Justesen, A., Magnusson, C.S., Milonas, P., Navas?Cortes, J.A., Parnell, S., Potting, R., Reignault, P.L., Thulke, H., Van der Werf, W., Vicent Civera, A., Yuen, J., Zappalà, L., Malumphy, C., Czwienczek, E. and MacLeod, A., 2019. Pest categorisation of Thrips palmi. EFSA Journal, 17(2), pp. 5620. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2019.5620

Cavalleri, A. and Gonçalves, S.S., 2022. Novos registros e checklist das espécies de Thysanoptera do Pampa Brasileiro. Entomological Communications, 4, pp. ec04014. https://doi.org/10.37486/2675-1305.ec04014

De Borbón, C.M., 2008. Desertathrips chuquiraga gen. et sp.n. (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) from Argentina. Zootaxa, 1751(1), pp. 25–34. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.1751.1.2

Díaz-Montano, J., Fuchs, M., Nault, B.A., Fail, J. and Shelton, A.M., 2011. Onion thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae): A global pest of increasing concern in onion. Journal of Economic Entomology, 104(1), pp. 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1603/EC10269

Ebratt-Ravelo, E., Castro-Avila, A. and Goldaracena-Lafuente, A., 2024. Updated checklist of the order Thysanoptera in Colombia. Zootaxa, 5489(1), pp. 192–203. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5489.1.14

Esri., 2024. ArcGIS Pro (Version 3.2.2) [Computer software]. Environmental Systems Research Institute. https://www.esri.com

European Food Safety Authority., 2019. Emerging risks exchange network (EREN). Minutes of the 21st meeting. EFSA. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/events/event/eren-21st-meeting

Folmer, O., Black, M., Hoeh, W., Lutz, R. and Vrijenhoek, R., 1994. DNA primers for amplification of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I from diverse metazoan invertebrates. Molecular Marine Biology and Biotechnology, 3(5), pp. 294–299.

Gentile, A. and Bailey, S.F., 1968. A revision of the genus Thrips Linnaeus in the New World with a catalogue of the world species (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). University of California Publications in Entomology, 51, pp. 1–92.

Gleason, J.E., Maw, E., Summerfield, A., Jandricic, S.E. and Brunet, B.M.T., 2023. First records of invasive agricultural pests Thrips parvispinus (Karny, 1922) and Thrips setosus Moulton, 1928 (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Canada. The Journal of the Entomological Society of Ontario, 154, pp. 1–12. https://journal.lib.uoguelph.ca/index.php/eso/article/view/7528

Goldarazena, A., Gattesco, F., Atencio, R. and Korytowski, C., 2012. An updated checklist of the Thysanoptera of Panama with comments on host associations. Check List, 8(6), pp. 1232–1247. https://doi.org/10.15560/8.6.1232

He, Z., Guo, J., Reitz, S.R., Lei, Z. and Wu, S., 2020. A global invasion by the thrip, Frankliniella occidentalis: Current virus vector status and its management. Insect Science, 27(4), pp. 626–645. https://doi.org/10.1111/1744-7917.12721

HeliconSoft., 2022. Helicon Focus (Version 8.0) [Computer software]. HeliconSoft. https://www.heliconsoft.com/heliconsoft-products/helicon-focus/

Hulagappa, T., Baradevanal, G., Surpur, S., Raghavendra, D., Doddachowdappa, S., Shashank, P., Kereyagalahalli-Mallaiah, K. and Bedar, J., 2022. Diagnosis and potential invasion risk of Thrips parvispinus under current and future climate change scenarios. PeerJ, 10, pp. e13868. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.13868

Hutasoit, R.T., Triwidodo, H. and Anwar, R., 2019. The abundance and diversity of thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on chili (Capsicum annuum L.) and cayenne (Capsicum frutescens L.) in Bogor. Jurnal Hama dan Penyakit Tumbuhan Tropika, 19(1), pp. 33–41. https://doi.org/10.23960/j.hptt.11933-41

Karny, H., 1922. Thysanoptera from Siam and Indo-China. Journal of the Siam Society, 16(2), pp. 91–153. https://thesiamsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/JSS_016_2b_Karny_ThysanopteraFromSiamAndIndochina.pdf

Lewis, T. (Ed.)., 1997. Thrips as crop pests. CAB International.

Maris, P.C., Joosten, N.N., Peters, D. and Goldbach, R.W., 2003. Thrips resistance in pepper and its consequences for the acquisition and inoculation of tomato spotted wilt virus by the western flower thrips. Phytopathology, 93(1), pp. 96–101. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO.2003.93.1.96

Monteiro, R.C., Mound, L.A. and Zucchi, R.A., 2001. Espécies de Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) no Brasil. Neotropical Entomology, 30(1), pp. 61–63. https://doi.org/10.1590/S1519-566X2001000100010

Morse, J.G. and Hoddle, M.S., 2006. Invasion biology of thrips. Annual Review of Entomology, 51(1), pp. 67–89. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ento.51.110104.151044

Mound, L.A. and Collins, D.W., 2000. A Southeast Asian pest species newly recorded from Europe: Thrips parvispinus (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), its confused identity and potential quarantine significance. European Journal of Entomology, 97(2), pp. 197–200. https://doi.org/10.14411/eje.2000.037

Mound, L.A. and Marullo, R., 1996. The Thrips of Central and South America: An introduction (Insecta: Thysanoptera) (Vol. 6). Memoirs on Entomology, International.

Mound, L.A. and Masumoto, M., 2005. The genus Thrips (Thysanoptera, Thripidae) in Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand. Zootaxa, 1020(1), pp. 1–64. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.1020.1.1

Mouden, S., Sarmiento, K.F., Klinkhamer, P.G. and Leiss, K.A., 2017. Integrated pest management in western flower thrips: Past, present and future. Pest Management Science, 73(5), pp. 813–822. https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.4531

Nakahara, S., 1994. The genus Thrips Linnaeus (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) of the New World (No. 1822; U.S. Dep. Agric. Tech. Bull.). U.S. Department of Agriculture.

National Center for Biotechnology Information., 2025. NCBI Database [Online]. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/

National Plant Protection Organization of the Netherlands., 2019. Thrips parvispinus. Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority, Ministry of Economic Affairs. https://pra.eppo.int/pra/edad9941-1011-4661-ba82-aa85dab26c8e

Payán-Arzapalo, M.A., Infante, F., Ortiz, J.A., Suárez-Hernández, H., López-Cuén, P.I., Delgado-Pacheco, V., Gastélum-Acosta, W.E., Yáñez-Juárez, M.G. and Estrada-Acosta, M.D., 2025. A new invasive pest in Mexico: the presence of Thrips parvispinus (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in chili pepper fields. Florida Entomologist, 108(1), pp. 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1515/flaent-2025-0001

Pavithran, S., Vishnu, M. and Naveen, M., 2024. Overview of invasive species, Thrips parvispinus (Karny) and its management strategies. GreenariA, 2(9), pp. 150–153.

Pijnakker, J., 2023. Thrips parvispinus (tobacco thrips). CABI Compendium, 53744. https://doi.org/10.1079/cabicompendium.53744

Rachana, R., Poorani, J. and Ramamurthy, V.V., 2022. Invasive pest, Thrips parvispinus (Karny) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) – A looming threat to Indian agriculture. Current Science, 122(2), pp. 211–213. https://doi.org/10.18520/cs/v122/i2/211-213

Rodríguez-Arrieta, J.A., Chaves-Barrantes, N.F., Hernández-Fonseca, J.C. and González-Herrera, A., 2023. First report of common bean flower thrips Megalurothrips usitatus Bagnall in Costa Rica. Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems, 26(2), pp.037. https://doi.org/10.56369/tsaes.4521

Seal, D., Khan, R., Osborne, L. and Gibbs, I., 2023. Thrips parvispinus (Karny, 1922) (Insecta: Thysanoptera: Thripidae): A new invasive pest. IN1407, pp. 1–6. https://doi.org/10.32473/edis-IN1407-2023

Sireesha, K., Prasanna, B.V.L., Vijaya-Lakshmi, T. and Reddy, R.V.S.K., 2021. Outbreak of invasive thrips species Thrips parvispinus in chilli growing areas of Andhra Pradesh. Insect Environment, 24(4), pp. 514–519. https://img1.wsimg.com/blobby/go/e32c3452-4e91-4d33-bdd5-d2fe34246a6c/downloads/9.%20K.%20Sireesha.pdf?ver=1659795704729

Soto-Adames, F.N., 2020. Thrips parvispinus (Karny). Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry. No. P-01926; pp. 1–3.

Sridhar, V., Sree-Chandana, P. and Rachana, R.R., 2021. Global status of Thrips parvispinus (Karny, 1922), an invasive pest. The Journal of Research PJTSAU, 49(4). https://epubs.icar.org.in/index.php/TJRP/article/view/123201

Tamura, K., Stecher, G. and Kumar, S., 2021. MEGA11: Molecular evolutionary genetics analysis version 11. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 38(7), pp. 3022–3027. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msab120

Thorat, S.S., Sisodiya, D.B. and Gangwar, R.K., 2022. Invasive thrips, Thrips parvispinus (Karny), an invasive threat: A review. Environment and Ecology, 40(4A), pp. 2170–2175. https://environmentandecology.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/MS4-4.pdf

Tyagi, K., Kumar, V., Singha, D. and Chakraborty, R., 2015. Morphological and DNA barcoding evidence for invasive pest thrips, Thrips parvispinus (Thripidae: Thysanoptera), newly recorded from India. Journal of Insect Science, 15(1), pp. 105. https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/iev087




URN: http://www.revista.ccba.uady.mx/urn:ISSN:1870-0462-tsaes.v28i3.63345

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.56369/tsaes.6334

Bookmark and Share


Copyright (c) 2025 Jesus Alexander Rodríguez-Arrieta

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.