Performance of Western flower thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on cultivars of miniature rose

The performance of western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), on cultivars of miniature rose, Rosa chinensis 'minima' was measured via larval development and adult oviposition experiments using leaf and petal disks. The time for larvae to complete development on both leaf and petal disks differed significantly among cultivars, although the differences were much more pronounced on petal tissue. Developmental time was prolonged on petal tissue from cultivars with red and orange flowers and generally shortest on white- and yellow-flowered cultivars. Larvae failed to complete development on petal tissue from one red- and one orange-flowered cultivar. In a no-choice test during 10 d, female thrips deposited significantly different numbers of eggs in flower petal tissue among cultivars, with red- and orange-flowered cultivars being among the least preferred. In choice tests comparing oviposition during 48 h in petal disks from cultivars with the same flower color, a preferred cultivar was revealed in each flower color group. In choice tests under constant light and constant dark conditions, using pair combinations of petal disks from the preferred cultivars, flower color had no effect on choice of oviposition substrate. When leaf and flower petal disks from the same cultivar were compared in choice tests, leaf tissue was consistently the preferred substrate for oviposition.