By Clint Thompson
Thrips parvispinus (P.) is present in Georgia; just not widespread and in farmers’ fields … yet.
“We have seen it. We have not seen it in the fields. We’ve seen it on ornamental plants and in big box stores, at Lowe’s in Tifton and Food Lion. Plants outside they are selling, if you go to pull the leaf, there’s thrips in that leaf,” University of Georgia vegetable entomologist Stormy Sparks said. “It’s a wait and see. It’s like thrips palmi. It’s a big problem in South Florida on a lot of stuff and has been down there for at least 15 years. You’d thought it would be a big problem here and it’s starting to be a little bit of a problem in blueberries here, but we really haven’t seen it in vegetables. Or it’s there and just not enough of a population to be a problem, whereas in South Florida it’s a huge problem.
“It just depends on the environment and whether or not (Thrips P.) going to like it here.”
According to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Thrips parvispinus, which was originally discovered in Florida in 2020, is a pest that can damage vegetable, ornamental and fruit crops. Sparks said this thrips species has been classified as an actionable pest, much like fire ants.
“That means if you document it, the USDA may get involved; quarantines would be the really bad one, but it depends on what they quarantine, too,” Sparks said. “If it’s on peppers, they’re probably not going to quarantine the fruit, because the thrips are really not on the fruit that much. But if you’re producing transplants; like right now it’s in Florida, everything that’s grown in Florida could potentially be restricted movement out of Florida.
“You start talking about ornamental plants and everything else. That’s how we know it was here. It came in on plants that were being moved, more than likely from South Florida.”
Sparks said the USDA could implement required screening and treatment for potted plants leaving Georgia.