We evaluated three previously known repellents of Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), i.e., carvacrol, cis-jasmone, and methyl jasmonate for the attraction of commercialized predators, Orius laevigatus (Fieber) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae), and native predator, O. minutus (L.), in Y-tube olfactometer. Higher proportion of O. laevigatus (mated unfed adult females) moved to the arm of methyl jasmonate or cis-jasmone than the arm of clean air. However, O. minutus did not show any significant preference to the chemicals tested. These results suggest that, among the tested chemicals, methyl jasmonate or cis-jasmone would be a good attractant for O. laevigatus.

The western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), is an important pest of horticultural and agricultural crops worldwide. The repeated use of chemical insecticides resulted in the development of insecticide resistance. We evaluated response of F. occidentalis to three synthetic herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs), methyl salicylate, methyl anthranilate, and nonanal known as attractants of thrips’ natural enemy, in Y-tube olfactometer. Mated fed adult females of F. occidentalis showed lowest response rate to methyl salicylate than methyl anthranilate, and nonanal. These results show that methyl salicylate may act as repellent to F. occidentalis, and can be used as a component of push-pull strategies for the management of F. occidentalis.

Orius spp. (Heteroptera: Anthocoridae) prey on small arthropods such as aphids, thrips, whitefly, and mites both in greenhouse and field. Use of chemical attractants to natural enemies can improve the efficacy of biological control through push-pull strategy. We compared attractiveness of three synthetic herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs), i.e., nonanal, methyl anthranilate, and methyl salicylate for thrips natural enemies, O. laevigatus (Fieber) and O. minutus (L.), in Y-tube olfactometer. Mated unfed adult females of O. laevigatus showed higher choice rate to methyl anthranilate or methyl salicylate than nonanal. Orius minutus showed higher choice rate to methyl anthranilate than methyl salicylate or nonanal. These results suggest that, among the three HIPVs, methyl anthranilate can be used for the attractant of both O. laevigatus and O. minutus.

Frankliniella intonsa (Trybom) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is an important pest in protected culture. We assessed fourrepellents (carvacrol, cis-jasmone, methyl jasmonate, and methyl salicylate) of Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande)(Thysanoptera: Thripidae) known from literatures to develop a behavioral management tactic against F. intonsa. We measuredthe repellency of F. intonsa that exposed to 100 times diluted repellents on leaf disc. Repellency was 2.60 times higherin methyl jasmonate followed by methyl salicylate (2.16 times), cis-jasmone (2.15 times) and carvacrol (2.08 times) comparedto control. These results suggest that methyl jasmonate can be incorporated as a component of integrated managementof F. intonsa.

Orius minutus (L.) (Hemiptera: Anthocoridae) is a native predators of soft body insects such as mites, thrips, and aphids.We compared 24 h consumption rate of O. minutus with that of a commercialized O. laevigatus (Fieber) on egg andadult stage of Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae). Orius minutus predated 1.4 times more adult T. urticae(58 mites) in 24 h than O. laevigatus. Similarly, O. minutus consumed 128 eggs while O. laevigatus consumed 98 eggsin 24 h without statistical difference. These results suggest that native O. minutus can be applied for the augmentativebiological control after the development of mass-rearing method.

Frankliniella intonsa (Trybom) (Thysanoptera: Thripididae) is an important pest of field and greenhouse crops such as pepper and strawberry. Chemical attractants are commonly used for monitoring thrips, but few are available for F. intonsa. Thus, we evaluated three attractants of Frankliniella occidentalis known from literatures for their attraction of F. intonsa in Y-tube olfactometer. Fed unmated adult females of F. intonsa showed higher initial response to (S)-(−)-verbenone than other attractants, i.e. aggregation pheromone of F. occidentalis and methyl isonicotinate. Unfed mated adult females of F. intonsa showed similar initial response. These results suggest that (S)-(−)-verbenone also can be used for monitoring and further in behavioral control tactics of F. intonsa.