Banana-silvering thrips
Scientific name | Hercinothrips bicinctus |
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Description of adult | Banana-silvering thrips are small (1.5 mm long), slender, brown insects with a darker abdomen and pale yellow hind wings that appear as a yellow line down the back of the body when the insect is at rest. Adult thrips have characteristic wings; the transparent wings have a fringe of hairs around the outside edge standing out in the same plane as the wing. |
Immature stages | The tiny eggs are laid just into the plant tissue on the pseudostem or where two fruit touch. The nymphs hatch after 7-8 days, are pale yellow or white in colour and often have a black globule of excrement at the end of the abdomen. |
Life history | The larval stage lasts about 10 days then the nymphs move down into the soil to pupate. Adults emerge after a further 7-10 days. |
Distribution | A minor pest in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales. Only a single incidence has been recorded from bananas at South Johnstone in North Queensland. |
Host range | Bananas, chokos, passionfruit and a number of weed species. |
Damage | Minor and infrequent. Feeding by these thrips causes silver speckling of green fruit that, on close inspection, can be seen to be speckled with dark excrement. In some instances browning of fruit may occur and deep longitudinal cracks may appear as a result. |
Control options | Usually only scattered plants are damaged. Cultural Biological Chemical Chemical registrations and permits |