Combined traditional and modern methods for identification of melon thrips Thrips palmi Karney: The vector of Watermelon bud necrosis virus (Tospovirus: Buniyaviridae) Rajabaskar D.*, Rabeena I., Aishwarya P., Usharani T.R.1, Karthikeyan G.2, Kennedy J.S. Department of Agril. Entomology, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru-560 089 (Karnataka), India 1Department of Biotechnology, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru-560 089 (Karnataka), India 2Department of Plant Pathology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore-641 003 (T.N.) *rajabaskard@yahoo.co.in
Online published on 12 December, 2019. Abstract Thrips palmi is a highly polyphagous pest and act as direct as well as indirect pest. A research work was carried out to characterize the thrips species occurring in Watermelon bud necrosis virus (WBNV) hotspot areas of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. The species was identified as Thrips palmi using taxonomical, SEM analysis and DNA analysis. The key characteristics observed were adult with seven segmented antennae, two pairs of postero angular setae on pronotum, having three distal setae on the first vein of forewing, a pair of companiform sensilla on metascutum, four lateral marginal setae on second abdominal tergite, postero marginal comb present on eighth abdominal tergite and presence of companiform sensilla on ninth abdominal tergite. Then the distinguishing taxonomic characteristics were documented through SEM analysis. The amplified PCR product was analyzed for sequencing and the NCBI data showed 99.9% similarity with T. palmi. Top Keywords Melon thrips, Thrips palmi, Species identification, SEM, DNA analysis. Top |