True and incidental plant hosts of Frankliniella gemina (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) associated with vineyards in Córdoba, Argentina

Spontaneous vegetation occurring in crop fields can provide resources for insect species. The aims of this study were to compile bibliographic information on the host plants of Frankliniella gemina Bagnall (Thysanoptera) in Argentina and to identify the species that act as true and incidental host plants in vegetation associated with vineyards in Colonia Caroya. A search of scientific articles was conducted using the keywords “Frankliniella gemina” and their synonyms F. rodeos and F. allochroos in Argentina, combined with "alternative hosts" and "weeds", in Spanish and English, published between 1980 and 2024. Flowers were collected in three vineyards and their surroundings, from August to December for two years. In Argentina, 122 host species of F. gemina were recorded, while 26 plant species were identified in Colonia Caroya: six true hosts, 17 incidental and three fortuitous. Nothoscordum gracile (Aiton) Stearn (Amaryllidaceae) and Melia azedarach L. (Meliaceae) are reported for the first time as true hosts of F. gemina, worldwide. The importance of considering woody plant species when designing Thysanoptera control strategies is highlighted.