Identification of Thrips species in vineyards and fig orchards and evaluation of the trapping effect of colored sticky cards

Objective This study aimed to identify the thrips species damaging vineyards and fig orchards in the Kashgar region of southern Xinjiang and to provide a theoretical basis for their control.

Methods Morphological and molecular biological methods were used to identify the thrips species collected from the orchards, and the trapping effects of different colored sticky cards and hanging orientations were compared.

Results Morphological characteristics and gene sequencing results confirmed that Thrips trehernei was the dominant thrips species damaging grapes and figs in this region. Thrips trehernei exhibited the strongest preference for blue sticky cards, with trap catches of 1.56 individuals per card in vineyards and 1.39 individuals per card in fig orchards. The optimal trapping effect was achieved when blue sticky cards were hung in the eastward direction in vineyards and in the southward direction in fig orchards, with trap catches of 1.62 and 1.25 individuals per card, respectively. The population of Thrips trehernei peaked from mid-May to late June, with the highest population recorded in early June, when the mean trap catches in the two orchards were 2.49 and 2.30 individuals per card, respectively.

Conclusion Thrips trehernei is the thrips species first discovered and reported in this region. In the event of large-scale outbreaks in vineyards and fig orchards, control can be achieved by hanging blue sticky cards in the eastward and southward directions.