Newly identified thrips pests cause significant economic damage to magnolia champaca flowers, highlighting the need for species management strategies.
The champaka or Sonchafa (Magnolia champaca), is a commercially and aesthetically significant evergreen species widely cultivated in Maharashtra and neighboring states of India. Four thrips species were newly recorded as pests of M. champaka, including Psephenothrips machili (Moulton), Thrips florum Schmutz, Thrips hawaiiensis (Morgan) and Thrips orientalis (Bagnall). Among these, P. machili was identified as the dominant species, responsible for 63% to 71% of bud damage across various fields. This study also marks the first report of an anthophilous host association of P. machili with M. champaca, causing significant economic damage. The diagnostic characteristics of all the reported species are provided here, accompanied by photomicrographs. This study is the first report of P. machili as a major pest of M. champaca, emphasizing its economic impact on flower buds and market value. The co-occurrence of T. florum, T. hawaiiensis and T. orientalis highlights the need for a multi-species management approach. Photomicrographs provided will aid in accurate species identification and damage recognition, supporting effective pest management strategies for this valuable floriculture crop.
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Rachana et al. (2025) studied this question.
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