Spread of the polyphagous pest Scirtothrips dorsalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Brazilian crops

Abstract The thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), is native to Asia. Although it is still listed as a quarantine pest in Brazil, it has also been reported in this country. In the present study, we expanded the distribution of this species to southeastern Brazil and provided new records for the northeastern region, where it was initially detected. In addition, we warn about its expansion in the country, comment on the injuries it has caused, and discuss the potential losses to crops. The samples were collected in five states from Passiflora edulis , Capsicum sp., Rosa sp., and Macadamia integrifolia . We found that this thrips caused injuries to the leaves and flower buds of rose bushes. The presence of different developmental stages of S . dorsalis on these crops indicates that they are the true hosts and that the populations have the potential to negatively affect the crops.