Author : Sabado, Emma M.

Summary : Survey, identification, and biological studies of anthurium thrips were conducted on October 1994-October 1996. Several anthurium-growing areas in the Philippines were surveyed. Identification and biological studies were conducted at the Department of Entomology, College of Agriculture, University of the Philippines, Los Ba¤os, Laguna. Chaetanaphothrips orchidii (Moulton) and Trichromothrips sp. were the two thrips species that infested anthuriums grown in several areas in the Philippines. The average life cycle of C. orchidii and Trichromothrips sp. from egg to adult, incubation period, first and second larval instars, prepupal and pupal stages were 25.84 and 18.06, 9.42 and 8.64, 3.37 and 2.34, 6.34 and 3.90, 1.74 and 1.04, 4.92 and 2.13 days. Adults survived 23.11 and 11.00 days while females laid 22.40 and 17.20 eggs. Development of C.orchidii was not significantly different on Kaumana 'Red' and Nitta 'Orange'. Trichromothrips sp., however, developed faster on Kaumana than on Nitta. Laboratory testing showed that Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. was the most promising factitous host for Trichromothrips sp. while matured stems of Gladiolus sp. provided the best pupation sites for C. orchidii. Chemical control is widely practiced by anthurium growers. Mass rearing of thrips using young leaves is feasible, advantageous and economical than using anthurium flowers.