ABSTRACT
Tospoviruses have a wide host range, which includes food, vegetable, ornamental and fruit crops. They are vectored by thrips (Thysanoptera). Seven thrips species, Frankliniella fusca, F. occidentalis, F. tencicornis, Scirtothrips dorsalis, Thrips palmi, T. setosus, and T. tabaci have been reported as vectors. Thrips are small (less than one millimeter in length) and diffi cult to handle in experiments on virus transmission. Many reports have been published on rearing of thrips utilizing whole plants or detached plant
parts, enclosed in different containers which include lamp globes, jars or celluloid cages (Samuel et al. 1930, Linford 1932), microcages (Smith 1932), microsandwich cages (Wright and Blodgett 1948), plastic cylindrical cages (Sakimura 1961) , lantern globes and glass vials (Amin et al. 1981). Various host plants utilized for rearing thrips include Emilia sonchifolia, Callistephus chinensis and Stellaria media (Sakimura 1961); potato, eggplant, cucumber, and watermelon (Calilung 1990); lettuce (Mau et al. 1990) and green pods (Ullman et al. 1992). In this chapter we describe a simple method for rearing of S. dorsalis and T. palmi utilizing detached leafl ets of peanut or groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) under laboratory conditions.
