--Significance of fruit flies in vegetable crops. Vegetable crops hold a key position in agricultural production in Reunion (Indian Ocean); however, many pests and diseases threaten the profitability of this agricultural sector. Fruit flies (Diptera: Tephritidae) figure among the main pests for solanaceous crops and cucurbits (cucumber, zucchini, melon, etc. Reunion. This part presents research actions implemented in fly bio-ecology, research actions into the genetic structure of populations and design of an agro-ecological management scheme for vegetable fruit flies. Conclusions. The control methods used independently have not been successful to effectively control tephritid populations. A more integrated approach is required, also taking into account the landscape scale and its mosaic of habitats, especially wild plants, whose role must be considered within a framework of agro-ecological management of these pest populations.Reunion / vegetable crops / Tephritidae / Bactrocera cucurbitae / Dacus ciliatus / Dacus demmerezi / Neoceratitis cyanescens / pest control / control methods Les mouches des fruits (Diptera : Tephritidae) sur légumes à la Réunion (océan Indien) : état des connaissances, méthodes de contrôle et perspectives de gestion.Résumé --Importance des mouches des fruits en cultures maraîchères. Les cultures maraîchères occupent une position clé dans la production agricole à la Réunion (océan Indien), toutefois, de nombreux ravageurs et maladies menacent la rentabilité de ce secteur agricole. Les mouches des fruits (Diptera : Tephritidae) figurent parmi les principaux ravageurs des solanacées et des cucurbitacées (concombre, courgette, melon, etc.). Des pertes de près de 80 % des récoltes de tomate et de 100 % de cucurbitacées ont été fré-quemment observées. Inventaire et distribution. Quatre espèces de mouches des fruits appartenant à la famille des Tephritidae provoquent des dommages importants aux cultures légumières à la Réunion : Bactrocera cucurbitae (Coquillet), Dacus ciliatus Loew et D. demmerezi (Bezzi) sur les cucurbitacées, et Neoceratitis cyanescens (Bezzi) sur les solanacées (principalement les tomates). La distribution de chacun d'eux est présentée. Biologie et comportement. Quelques études sur la biologie et le comportement des quatre mouches des fruits ont été menées à la Réunion dans les années 1990. Leurs principales caractéristiques biologiques ont été résumées. Méthodes de contrôle des populations utilisées à la Réunion. Diverses méthodes utilisées actuellement à la Réunion contre ces mouches des fruits sont exposées : lutte chimique, mesures préventives (assainissement), contrôle physique, contrôle biotechnique [pièges colorés, technique d'élimination des mâles (MAT) et technique d'utilisation d'appâts (BAT)] et lutte biologique. D'autres méthodes de lutte comme la lutte intégrée, et la technique des insectes stériles ne sont pas utilisées à la Réunion. Perspectives de mise en oeuvre de la gestion bio-écologique des mouches de fruits en culture maraîchère à la Réunion. Cet...

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Authors report results of a study performed between May 2011 and September 2013 on cover plants tested for future uses in citrus orchards in Martinique. A total of twenty-two species were found among which eight are very common in the West Indies. A catalogue of four new records for Martinique and three new records for the French West Indies is provided, with some information on their biology when available, and biogeography. Some considerations for six additional species, two rarely recorded in the West Indies and four already recorded and very common but with some new data and discussions, are also provided. Among these 13 species, four are re-described.

A list of 91 species of thrips from Guadeloupe and Martinique, including 28 new records, is provided. New data on the ecology of some species and additional records of parasitoids and predators of thrips are given. A list of plants is provided on which populations of thrips have been observed, in some cases, with the presence of immature stages and/or thrips feeding damage.

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For several years, whiteflies of the genus Bemisia (Hom., Aleyrodidae) have caused major damage to vegetable crops in the Lesser Antilles, and have revealed new symptoms. The genetic characterization of the populations involved was attempted using esterases polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Most of the individuals analysed showed an identical enzymatic profile, which also appears to be similar to the profile of Bemisia argentifolii (Bellows and Perring) described in the United‐States. However, the individuals collected on Jatropha gossypifolia (L.) were different, and matched the N biotype of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) known in Puerto Rico.

The understanding of how environmental factors and agricultural practices affect population dynamics of insect pests is necessary for pest management. Here, we provide insight into the ecology of the banana rind thrips Elixothrips brevisetis (Bagnall) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) by collecting and analysing a spatiotemporal database of population estimates in Martinique (West French Indies). We assessed the influence of climatic variables (which were rainfall and temperature) and biotic variables (which were banana and three weed species) on the adult thrips abundance for different components of the banana plant (sucker, mother plant and bunch) and evaluated the effect of thrips abundance and standard bunch covers on damages. The abundance of thrips on the sucker, the mother plant, and the bunch was significantly related to the abundance on neighbouring banana plants, and spatial autocorrelation indicated that E. brevisetis dispersed for only short distances. The number of thrips on the mother plant and on the bunch was positively related to the number of thrips on the sucker, suggesting that the thrips may disperse from the sucker to the mother plant and then to the bunch. The abundance of thrips on the sucker increased with sucker height and was positively correlated with the mean daily rainfall during the 17 days before sampling; the length of that period might correspond with the time required for an individual to complete its life cycle. Covered bunches had 98% fewer thrips than non-covered bunches, and the damage caused by thrips was linearly related to the number of thrips present between the 2nd and 4th week after flowering. Finally, we found that the presence of Alocasia cucullata, Dieffenbachia seguine and Peperomia pellucida is significantly related with a decrease in thrips abundance on banana plants, suggesting the use of these weeds as potential trap plants.