The Myoporum thrips attacks plants of
the Australian and New Zealand genus
Myoporum, causing leaf deformation through the feeding activity of
immature thrips and adults. These
insects are now widely spread in California by horticulture activity and
birds. They also pose a potential
threat to native plant species in Hawaii as they appeared in there in 2009.
The
plants where galling damage to leaves occurs is primarily Myoporum laetum, a plant native to New
Zealand. However, new developed
varieties of Myoporum are
vulnerable as well as new species imports from Australia.
Species
of Myoporum are now widespread
in residential and roadway margins in California, which planting and traffic
movement may facilitate further spread.
The genus Myoporum being
drought hardy has made it desirable as an ornamental. Nevertheless, in some areas it has begun
to be considered as a weed. Dr. Mark
Hoddle of the University of
California has suggested that the thrips may eventually be considered useful
as a biological control agent.
REFERENCES:
Bethke, J. A. & D. A. Shaw. 2008.
Myoporum thrips control.
University of California, Cooperative Extension San Diego County.
Cameron, S. L. & L. A. Mound. 2014.
Trans-Bass Strait speciation and trans-Pacific dispersal in the Myoporum thrips (Thysanoptera,
Phlaeothripinae). Austral. Entomology
53: 36–41.
Hoddle, Mark. 2009.
Myoporum Thrips. Center for Invasive Species Research,
University of California Berkeley.
Kaufman, Levia V., Dominique R. Zarders & Mark G. Wright.
2021. Susceptibility of Endemic Myoporum (Naio) Species and
Populations in Klambothrips myopori in Hawaii. Pacific Science 74 (3): 309-318.
Mound, L. A. & D. C. Morris. 2007.
A new thrips pest of Myoporum
cultivars in California, in a new genus of leaf-galling Australian
Phlaeothripidae (Thysanoptera).
Zootaxa. 1495: 35-45.
Shogren, Christopher J. &
Timothy D. Paine.
2019a. Host Plant Recognition and Performance of Klambothrips
myopori (Thysanoptera:
Phlaeothripidae) Across Myoporum Cultivars in Southern
California. Journal of
Economic Entomology 112 (4):
1645-1650.
Shogren, C. J. &
T. D. Paine. 2019b. Identification
of the Klambothrips
myopori (Thysanoptera: Phlaeothripidae) Predator Complex. In: California Environmental Entomology, Volume 48 (4): 1024-1034.
Shogren, Christopher & Timothy Paine.
2020. Predicting the Potential Invasive Range of Klambothrips myopori (Thysanopetra: Phlaeothripidae). Journal of Economic Entomology 113 (3): 1202-1210.
FURTHER RELATED REFERENCES:
Triapitzin, S. V. & D. H. Headrick. 1995. A review of the
Nearctic species of the thrips-attacking genus Ceranisus Walker (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae). Transactions of the American Entomological
Society 121 (4): 227-248.
Triapitzin, S.
V. & J. G. Morse. 1999. Survey of parasitoids of citrus thrips, Scirtothrips citri (Moulton), in
southern California. Russian
Entomological Journal 8 (1).
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