........ published in NEWSLETTER # 57
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........ published in NEWSLETTER # 57
THRIPS BIOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
by Professor B.L. Parker, University of Vermont, Burlington (U.S.A.)
Members of the insect order Thysanoptera (Thrips) have long been recognized as crop pests, but their importance, and public awareness of it, has increased dramatically in recent years as several species have greatly increased their geographical, and apparently their host plant range. Species that have risen to particular prominance include the western flower thrips which damages over two hundred different crop and ornamental plants worldwide, the palm thrips which is spreading rapidly on vegetable crops through the semi-tropics from its east Asian origins, and the pear thrips which has developed as a scourge of maple woodland in the North Eastern United States.
"Thrips Biology and Management" (NATO ASI SERIES A276) is thus an extremely timely book being a compilation of the proceedings of the largest ever international conference devoted exclusively to the Thysanoptera, held at the University of Vermont in 1993. Its 90 or so contributions offer the widest coverage currently available on this group of pests, providing insight into the many problems they cause in field, forest and glass-house crops, their vectoring of plant pathogens, and approaches to control with particular emphasis on biological agents and practices in integrate systems. All this applied information is underpinned by basic studies on ecology and behavior, and techniques used to study these minute but fascinating creatures in laboratory and field.
No serious student of the group, general applied entomologist, or crop protection or amenity consultant, can afford to be without this mine of information.
Reference books: A46, A55, A276, G11, H13