Adaptation of the western flower thrips to insecticides

The Western flower thrips (WFT) is one of the major pests of ornamentals. In Michigan this insect causes severe damage to greenhouse plant production. The control of thrips has largely relied on the use of insecticides from different modes of action including spynosyns, neonicotinoids, and abamectin, among others. However, failures in the control of this insect have been observed and that may be associated with the development of insecticide resistance. Resistance of the WFT to different mode of action compounds by a fast detection method in Michigan greenhouses is presented.