Keele Research Repository

Thrips (Thysanoptera) are small insects that can cause huge problems in agriculture, horticulture and forestry through feeding and the transmission of plant viruses. They produce a rich chemical diversity of pheromones and allomones and also respond to a broad range of semiochemicals from plants. These semiochemicals offer many opportunities to develop new approaches to pest management. Aggregation pheromones and plant-derived semiochemicals are already available in commercial products. We review these semiochemicals and consider how we can move away from their use mainly for monitoring to their use for control. We still know very little about the behavioral responses to semiochemicals and we identify that research in this area is needed to improve the use of semiochemicals in pest management. We also propose that thrips should be used as a model system for semiochemical responses of small insects that have limited ability to fly upwind.