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Understanding the use of vision and olfaction by thrips and other small flying insects to enhance biological control

Research output: Chapter in book/report/conference proceedingContribution to book/anthologyResearchpeer review

Authors

  • David Teulon
  • Karla Lopez Reyes
  • Rainer Meyhoefer
  • Rob van Tol

Research Organisations

External Research Organisations

  • New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited (Plant & Food Research)
  • BugResearch Consultancy
  • Lund University

Details

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication Advances in biocontrol of crop insect pests
Place of PublicationCambridge
Publication statusPublished - 2025

Abstract

Small, winged insects face challenges in host finding because of their inability to fly upwind and from a reduction in sensory performance due to miniaturisation. For thrips, but also for other small, winged hemipteroids, we examine the sensory systems associated with host finding and how they might be exploited for biological control. Our approach is integrative and comparative.
We show that thrips, aphids, psyllids and whiteflies have complex visual and olfactory sensory systems. Their small size places practical challenges on the ability to undertake host finding research and careful experimental design is necessary to draw sound conclusions.
Potential and actual applications for the use of host finding stimuli for biological control appear to be numerous but would be accelerated with a better understanding of the behavioural responses to visual and olfactory stimuli, how they combine together to enhance host finding and how they can be integrated with other management tactics.

Keywords

    biological control, thrips, host finding, olfaction, vision, miniaturisation

Cite this

Understanding the use of vision and olfaction by thrips and other small flying insects to enhance biological control. / Teulon, David; Lopez Reyes , Karla; Meyhoefer, Rainer et al.
Advances in biocontrol of crop insect pests. Cambridge, 2025.

Research output: Chapter in book/report/conference proceedingContribution to book/anthologyResearchpeer review

Teulon, D, Lopez Reyes , K, Meyhoefer, R, van Tol, R & Nielsen , M 2025, Understanding the use of vision and olfaction by thrips and other small flying insects to enhance biological control. in Advances in biocontrol of crop insect pests. Cambridge. https://doi.org/10.19103/AS.2024.0149.01
Teulon, D., Lopez Reyes , K., Meyhoefer, R., van Tol, R., & Nielsen , M. (2025). Understanding the use of vision and olfaction by thrips and other small flying insects to enhance biological control. In Advances in biocontrol of crop insect pests https://doi.org/10.19103/AS.2024.0149.01
Teulon D, Lopez Reyes K, Meyhoefer R, van Tol R, Nielsen M. Understanding the use of vision and olfaction by thrips and other small flying insects to enhance biological control. In Advances in biocontrol of crop insect pests. Cambridge. 2025 doi: 10.19103/AS.2024.0149.01
Teulon, David ; Lopez Reyes , Karla ; Meyhoefer, Rainer et al. / Understanding the use of vision and olfaction by thrips and other small flying insects to enhance biological control. Advances in biocontrol of crop insect pests. Cambridge, 2025.
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