The chemical language of thrips
Kirk WDJ
School of Life Sciences, Keele University, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK.
Correspondence: w.d.j.kirk@keele.ac.uk
There is increasing evidence that chemical communication plays a major role in many aspects of the life of the western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae). This now includes research on an alarm pheromone produced by larvae and an aggregation pheromone produced by adult males, as well as research on responses to plant volatiles and related compounds. Since this species has only become the focus of research because it is a major pest, it is likely that chemical communication also plays a major role in the biology of many other species of thrips. Thus, a vast research field is opening up. Current developments in the chemical ecology of the western flower thrips and other thrips are reviewed, and possible future research directions and applied prospects are considered.
