The effects of feeding on host plant tissue infected with a plant pathogenic virus on thrips survival, reproduction, and development was studied. Western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), exposed through feeding as larvae to the impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV, formerly tomato spotted wilt virus-impatiens serotype) had lowered survival and reproductive potential and slower development rate than did unexposed thrips under controlled environmental conditions. Virus-exposed thrips were 1.4 times as likely to die than unexposed thrips in a given day. The reproductive potential for the virus-exposed group was significantly lower, and preoviposition period was extended. Development time from second instar to adult was 15% longer for thrips exposed to virus-infected plant tissue as larvae compared with the development time for thrips not exposed to the virus.
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DeAngelis et al. (1993) studied this question.