Pacific Pests, Pathogens and Weeds

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Summary

• Widespread distribution. On food legumes, e.g., cowpea, French bean. Probably, minor pest in Pacific islands.
• Infests the flowers. Pods twist and deform, and show brown feeding marks. Large numbers cause poor pod set, stunting, wilts. Not known to spread virus.
• Nymphs yellow, later orange-red. Adults greyish-brown with striped abdomen.
• Adults and nymphs spread on air currents.
• Cultural control: crop rotation with non-legume crops; avoid planting next to infested crops; intercrop with non-hosts, e.g., capsicum between yard-long beans; weed; in small plantings, hose plants with jets of water to remove thrips; after harvest, destroy trash. 
• Chemical control: pesticides not recommended; synthetic pyrethroids or malathion will kill natural enemies; also, difficult to reach inside flowers. If necessary, try botanical sprays (derris, chilli, garlic, neem), or horticultural oil, white oil, or soap solution (see Fact Sheet no. 56).