Occurrence of Thrips parvispinus (Karny) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Mango Orchards of Peddapalli District, Telangana, India
A. Nithish
Fruit Research Station, Sangareddy – 502001, India.
B. Naresh
*
Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Ramagirikhilla -505212 India.
Y. Venkanna
Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Ramagirikhilla -505212 India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Diagnostic field visits to mango (Mangifera indica L.) orchards in Peddapalli district, Telangana, India, were undertaken after reports of damage to inflorescences, tender leaves and fruit during the 2025 flowering and fruiting season. In March–April 2025, thrips were collected from affected mango trees in Katekenapalli and Pattipaka villages, Dharmaram mandal, by tapping plant material over a white sheet and preserving collected insects in 70% ethanol. Four sample entries were submitted for specialist morphological identification at the ICAR–National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources, Bengaluru. Thrips parvispinus (Karny) was identified in all four entries, while Frankliniella schultzei (Trybom) was also identified in three. Field photographs documented withered panicles and superficially scarred fruit. The findings establish the presence of T. parvispinus among thrips recovered from mango in these two villages; however, co-occurrence of another thrips species and the absence of systematic population counts, yield comparisons and diagnostic feeding studies prevent species-specific quantification of crop damage. The observation extends district-level evidence of T. parvispinus associated with mango in India, where its occurrence on the same host has previously been reported elsewhere. Standardised seasonal surveys and specimen-linked diagnostic records are warranted to establish prevalence and economic importance.
Keywords: Invasive thrips, mango, Peddapalli, pest surveillance, taxonomic identification, Telangana