Effect of Diet on Development and Reproduction of Pezothrips kellyanus (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

Abstract

The developmental time, fecundity, and longevity of Pezothrips kellyanus (Bagnall) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) encaged on lemon, Citrus limon (L.) Burm.f., leaves supplied with different food sources (pollen, sucrose, and honey) were compared at 25 degrees C. Only the addition of pollen offered a nutritional benefit for this thrips species. Pollen to the lemon leaf reduced total developmental time from egg to adult from 12.42 to 9.68 d, increased survival from 22.6 to 80.6%, and increased fecundity. When sugar was offered, only 10% of larvae survived. P. kellyanus larvae were unable to grow on lemon leaves as well as when honey was supplied to the leaves (recorded survival was 22.6 and 42.86%, respectively), and adult females were slightly able to reproduce (1.4 and 4.2 larvae per female, respectively). Pollen and honey supplements fed to adults double and triple adult longevity, respectively.