Skip to content

Black thrips (Thrips parvispinus) in chilli

Thrips parvispinus (Karny) is an invasive thripid first recorded in India on papaya in Bengaluru in 2015 and which erupted on chilli in Rabi 2021-22, causing the largest single thrips outbreak in the Indian chilli belt. ICAR-NBAIR issued the formal pest alert in 2021 and ICAR-IIHR Bengaluru leads inter-institutional surveys and bio-intensive management modules.

Identification and symptoms

Adult T. parvispinus are small dark-bodied thrips with a characteristic pale-banded thorax. On chilli the pest induces severe flower drop, upward leaf curl and brown scarring of fruits; surveys recorded 90-95% flower damage at outbreak peak.

Host crops / Life cycle

The species belongs to the order Thysanoptera, family Thripidae, and is native to South-East Asia. It has a wide host range in India, with chilli now the most economically affected crop. The first Indian host record was Carica papaya, Bengaluru, 2015; the first chilli outbreak was Rabi 2021-22 across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. Major chilli varieties affected include Guntur Sannam (Chilli Guntur Sannam), the Teja segment (Chilli Teja Segment) and Byadgi types (Chilli Byadgi Segment).

Damage and economic impact

The Rabi 2021-22 outbreak affected more than 0.4 million hectares of chilli. Severe feeding causes flower and bud drop (Disorder Chilli Flower Bud Drop) and direct yield collapse.

Management (cultural, biological, chemical)

ICAR-NBAIR and ICAR-IIHR have issued formal monitoring and bio-intensive management modules. The package combines:

  • Cultural — insect-proof nursery netting (Practice Chilli Nursery Raising), reflective mulches and removal of alternate hosts
  • Monitoring — blue / yellow sticky traps and flower-tap sampling
  • Chemical rotation — included in the standard IPM spray calendar (Practice Chilli Spray Schedule); molecules in current use include spinetoram, fipronil and cyantraniliprole, alternated to delay resistance
  • Biocontrol — release of predatory mites and conservation of native generalist predators

Thrips In Chilli, Disorder Chilli Flower Bud Drop, Disease Chilli Leaf Curl Virus, Practice Chilli Spray Schedule, Chilli Guntur Sannam, Chilli Teja Segment

References

  1. Pest Alert: Invasive thrips Thrips parvispinus (Karny). ICAR-NBAIR, 2021.
  2. South East Asian Thrips (Thrips parvispinus) — Monitoring and Management. ICAR-IIHR.
  3. Management of black thrips in chilli in India: A review. Entomology Journals, 2024.