Effects of Temperature and Sugar Maple Pollen on Oviposition and Longevity of Pear Thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

Abstract

A laboratory bioassay was conducted to test the effects of temperature and the availability of Acer saccharum Marshall pollen on adult female Taeniothrips inconsequens (Uzel) longevity and oviposition. Over a range of temperatures (8-20°C), a diet that included pollen significantly increased T. inconsequent adult longevity, total opposition, and oviposition rate compared with diets that included no pollen. For diets with and without pollen, adult longevity significantly decreased with increasing temperature. However, the decrease in total oviposition and oviposition rate with increasing temperatures was only marginally significant. The importance of these 3 factors in determining the population dynamics of T. inconsequens in sugar maple stands is discussed.