Amynothrips andersoni
Encyclopedia
Amynothrips andersoni is a species of thrips
known as alligator weed thrips. It has been used as an agent of biological pest control
against the noxious aquatic plant
known as alligator weed
(Alternanthera philoxeroides).
This thrips is native to South America. It has been imported and released in the United States to feed upon alligator weed. It is now established in much of the southeastern United States. The adult thrips is 2 millimeters long, shiny, and black. A short-winged form and a long-winged flying form exist; the latter is rare. The female lays about 200 eggs during her ninety-day adult lifespan. If the female mates with a male she produces male and female offspring; if she goes unmated, her eggs will all yield male offspring. The eggs are tan ovoids half a millimeter long. The larva
is tan in its first stage and bright scarlet red in its second. Both larva and adult feed upon the alligator weed, generally on leaf buds and along leaf edges, causing curling of the leaves and stunting of the plant.
Thrips
Thrips are tiny, slender insects with fringed wings . Other common names for thrips include thunderflies, thunderbugs, storm flies, thunderblights, and corn lice...
known as alligator weed thrips. It has been used as an agent of biological pest control
Biological pest control
Biological control of pests in agriculture is a method of controlling pests that relies on predation, parasitism, herbivory, or other natural mechanisms...
against the noxious aquatic plant
Aquatic plant
Aquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments. They are also referred to as hydrophytes or aquatic macrophytes. These plants require special adaptations for living submerged in water, or at the water's surface. Aquatic plants can only grow in water or in soil that is...
known as alligator weed
Alligator weed
Alternanthera philoxeroides, commonly known as Alligator weed, is an immersed aquatic plant. It originated in South America, but has spread to many parts of the world and is considered an invasive species in Australia, China, New Zealand, Thailand and the United States.Alligator weed can grow in a...
(Alternanthera philoxeroides).
This thrips is native to South America. It has been imported and released in the United States to feed upon alligator weed. It is now established in much of the southeastern United States. The adult thrips is 2 millimeters long, shiny, and black. A short-winged form and a long-winged flying form exist; the latter is rare. The female lays about 200 eggs during her ninety-day adult lifespan. If the female mates with a male she produces male and female offspring; if she goes unmated, her eggs will all yield male offspring. The eggs are tan ovoids half a millimeter long. The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
is tan in its first stage and bright scarlet red in its second. Both larva and adult feed upon the alligator weed, generally on leaf buds and along leaf edges, causing curling of the leaves and stunting of the plant.
External links
- TAMU Biocontrol Profile
- alligatorweed thrips on the UFUniversity of FloridaThe University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
/ IFASInstitute of Food and Agricultural SciencesThe University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is a federal-state-county partnership dedicated to developing knowledge in agriculture, human and natural resources, and the life sciences, and enhancing and sustaining the quality of human life by making that information...
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