Global-expansion
Guides
Scirtothrips dorsalis
chilli thrips, yellow tea thrips, castor thrips, Assam thrips, strawberry thrips
Scirtothrips dorsalis is a highly invasive thrips species native to South or Southeast Asia that has achieved global distribution over the past two decades. It is a significant agricultural pest with an exceptionally broad host range spanning vegetables, ornamentals, and fruit crops. The species is characterized by rapid population growth, with development from egg to adult completed in approximately two weeks under optimal conditions. Its feeding causes distinctive damage including leaf curling, brown scarring along leaf veins, and bronzing to blackening of fruits and flowers. The species has been implicated in transmission of tospoviruses, though its efficiency as a vector remains debated. Genetic evidence indicates S. dorsalis represents a species complex of morphologically similar but genetically distinct lineages.