Effect of some floral scents on host finding by thrips (Insecta: Thysanoptera)

The role of floral scents in host location by flower-dwelling thrips is investigated by experiment in the field. The scent of anisaldehyde significantly increased the catches of seven species of flower-dwelling thripid, but had no significant effect on three species of cereal thripid and one species of flower-dwelling aeolothripid. The catches of white (without UV) traps were increased by a factor of 3.3 to 8.3 in the presence of the scent.