THRIPS POLLEN-CARRYING CAPABILITY OF SOME SELECTED ORNAMENTAL PLANTS

Nurul Hanani Ahmad, Yong Foo Ng

Abstract


Thrips are generally considered pests because they feed on plant tissue and can transmit viral diseases to their host plants. However, their vast numbers and capacity to travel both short and long distances may also make them effective pollinators. A study was conducted at the Penang Botanical Garden, Malaysia during the flowering season from March to April 2022 to investigate the pollen-carrying potential of thrips on selected ornamental plants, including Thunbergia erecta, Couroupita guianensis, Tabernaemontana corymbosa ‘Flore Pleno’, T. divaricata, and Beaumontia murtonii. A total of 149 thrips from the family Thripidae, comprising six species namely Thrips hawaiiensis, T. florum, T. levatus, T. parvispinus, T. vitticornis, and Ceratothripoides brunneus were collected. Of these, 51 individuals (34.23%) were recorded as pollinators of ornamental plants, including T. hawaiiensis (49.02%), T. florum (13.73%), T. vitticornis (1.96%), and C. brunneus (36.30%). The mean (±SD) number of pollen grains carried by these thrips pollinators ranged from 6.83 (±2.79) to 12.61 (±2.55). This study aims to provide useful insights for future research, particularly regarding thrips pollination at the Penang Botanical Garden.


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