BEHAVIOR OF YELLOW TEA THRIPS SCIRTOTHRIP S DORSALIS (HOOD) ON A REFLECTIVE SHEET

The behavior of yellow tea thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis, on a reflect ive sheer (RS) was examined ill mandarin orange and tea orchards in 19 92 and 1993. The results are as follows: (1) The trap catch at ground level (GL) and at 1.5 m above GL in the RS plot was lower than ill the control plot. In the control plot, the trap catch at GL was lower tha n at 1.5 m above GL. However, the trap catch at GL was almost equal to that at 1.5 m above GL in the RS plot. (2) The trap catch at the end furthest from the tea field of the RS plot with malching for 2 m next to a tea field was lower than the control plot. (3) More adults releas ed in a small tree or on a stage in the center of the RS fell on the R S with mulching than on black-polyethylene mulching. (4) When adults w ere released from heights of 0.5-24 cm above tile RS (135 X 135 cm) mo re fell on the RS from lower heights, and tile number was almost equal to tile control plot for a height of 50 cm. (5) Adults released on th e RS moved mainly by walking and did not fly continuously. Female adul ts released from shaded parts of the RS moved to unshaded parts, but n ot vice versa.