PEST-HARVEST MANAGEMENT OF TOBACCO THRIPS (THYSANOPTERA, THRIPIDAE) OVERWINTERING IN PEANUT FIELDS

A combination of fallow tillage and a March application of carbofuran were assessed as tactics for decreasing survival and reproduction of t obacco thrips overwintering in six harvested peanut fields. Large numb ers of tobacco thrips, Frankliniella fusca (Hinds) (Thysanoptera: Thri pidae), developed in three fields on volunteer peanut, Arachis hypogae a L., and winter annual weeds. Adult tobacco thrips collected during t he late winter were predominantly brachypterous, with percent brachypt ery averaging 71-95% for females. Brachypterous adults tended to be mo re abundant in fields harvested in September than in those harvested i n October. Dishing during November and February greatly reduced the de nsity of volunteer peanut and winter annual weeds but did not measurab ly decrease abundance of brachypterous tobacco thrips. Carbofuran appl ication reduced abundance of brachypterous adults and thrips larvae on volunteer peanut by 85-100% during the early spring. Post-harvest til lage and carbofuran application did not measurably reduce incidence of tomato spotted wilt virus in the subsequent peanut crop. Implications for winter ecology and management of spotted wilt are discussed.