Tospovirus
Guides
Frankliniella occidentalis
Western Flower Thrips, alfalfa thrips, California thrips
Frankliniella occidentalis, the western flower thrips, is a minute insect native to the southwestern United States that has become a globally significant agricultural pest. Adults measure approximately 1.5 mm in length. The species feeds on plant fluids by piercing and sucking, causing direct damage to hundreds of host species including tomatoes, grapes, strawberries, soybeans, and ornamentals. Its economic impact is compounded by its role as the principal vector of Tomato spotted wilt virus and other tospoviruses, which cause billions of dollars in annual crop losses worldwide. The species exhibits arrhenotokous parthenogenesis, where unfertilized females produce haploid males. It has demonstrated high resistance to pesticides and has spread to Europe, Australia, South America, Asia, and Africa through transport of infested plant material.