“Testing the limits” — an interesting record of the exotic banded greenhouse thrips Hercinothrips femoralis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae: Panchaetothripinae) at high Carpathian mountain altitudes

Abstract

This study deals with an interesting record of exotic pest thrips Hercinothrips femoralis (Reuter, 1891) small population in the Carpathian mountain area (Vysoké Tatry Mts, N Slovakia) during the extensive research on high altitude forest succession. Hercinothrips femoralis is a well-known African pest species that has been introduced into the temperate regions of Europe, surviving only in glasshouses. The record in the coldest altitudes ever published (more than 1,000 m a.s.l.) indicates a role of passive migration and an effort of insects to taste ecological and environmental limits in their distribution.

The significance of anthropochory in Hercinothrips femoralis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) - Short Communication

“…Since the presence of H. femoralis was recorded at a greenhouse located at the same faculty (Varga 2008) as Masarovič's research team, members of which repeatedly visited the sites at Podbanské (High Tatra Mts. ), Slovakia and, thus, possibly introduced a population that was able to reside outdoors during the collection in June and July of 2008 (Masarovič et al 2014). No further records suggest that the population was able to survive the latter months, as is often the case for exotic thrips species (Mcdonald et al 1997;Mcdonald et al 1999;Mcdonald et al 2000;Larentzaki et al 2007;Ramanand et al 2017).…”

“…According to these preliminary results we believe that the record of H. femoralis in the subalpine environment of Podbanské (the High Tatra Mts.) made by Masarovič et al (2014) may have been the result of an unintentional human-assisted dispersal. Since the presence of H. femoralis was recorded at a greenhouse located at the same faculty (Varga 2008) as Masarovič's research team, members of which repeatedly visited the sites at Podbanské (High Tatra Mts.…”

“…The most recent reoccurrence was published in 2016 from South Korea (Lee & Lee 2016) where it was recorded severely damaging ornamental plants in a private household. The northernmost outdoor record came from Podbanské (the High Tatra Mountains), Slovakia, during June and July of 2008 (Masarovič et al 2014).…”

First record of a new alien economically important thrips Dichromothrips corbetti (Priesner, 1936) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Slovakia - short communication

“…) supporting the infiltration of many nonnative species, originally with tropical and subtropical distribution (Jenser & Czenz 1988;Pelikán 1989Pelikán , 1991Lewis 1997;Collins 1998;Vierbergen et al 2006;Fedor & Varga 2007;Varga & Fedor 2008). These species continuously adapt to local climatic and ecological conditions and expand to other regions (Masarovič et al 2014) even through zoochory . Biological invasions are thus expected to become one of the greatest problems in phytosanitary care (Lodge et al 2006), where any detailed faunistic information, complex survey and monitoring may provide a key for effective control to reduce consequential economic losses (Fedor et al , 2009Varga et al 2010).…”

On the Occurrence of the Introduced Pest Thrips simplex (Morison 1930) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in Slovakia

“…24(1): 38-41. DOI: 10.1515/aeuc-2016 ecological conditions and even expand to other regions (MASAROVIČ et al 2014). Research on their ecology, distribution and invasion potential is often a key to reduce consequential economic damage.…”