Life Table and Feeding Habits of Scolothrips sexmaculatus (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)1

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Abstract
Scolothrips sexmaculatus, a predaceous thrips, has had varying degrees of success in controlling spider mites in the field. Our studies suggest that its success as a predator depends upon ambient temperature. At 20°C rm, the intrinsic rate of increase is 0.8 because of the long development time. At 30°C rm is 0.26 because of the short development and oviposition periods and the high age-specific fecundity. The optimal temperature for S. sexmaculatus is near 30°C. At 30°C a population of 6 spotted thrips can double its numbers in 27 days compared with 8.7 days at 20°C. Reproduction is sexual and facultatively arrhenotokous. The rate of predation is also influenced by temperature. At 30°C females ate an average of 49.7 Tetranychus urticae eggs/day compared with 20.7 eggs/day at 20°C. Female thrips also preyed on other mite stages and ate more mite eggs, deutonymphs, and teleiochrysalids when given a varied population of mites. Adults and 2nd instar larvae are cannibalistic.

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