Thripline Frankliniella occidentalis

  • Thripline image
  • Thripline image

Thripline is a proprietary product containing the aggregation pheromone of Western Flower Thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis. The product is designed to improve the sensitivity of monitoring traps for thrips, particularly at low levels of infestation or in easily damaged crops. Use of Thripline for monitoring allows growers to introduce additional control measures, such as Amblyline biological control agent, before thrips populations reach damaging levels.

Key Features

  • Maximum sensitivity in thrips monitoring.
  • Pheromone lure for Western Flower thrips causes thrips to move to the top of the crop resulting in earlier detection and estimation of population size
  • Fits well into a thrips ICM program with other biological control agents and/or chemical spray treatments.

Main uses

  • Western Flower thrips

How It Works

  • Thripline contains a synthetic version of an aggregation pheromone produced naturally by male occidentalis. It attracts both male and female thrips into mating aggregations. It will not attract thrips from outside of the general crop area.
  • The pheromone is encapsulated in rubber lures (septa) and is released gradually over several weeks.

Available delivery systems

  • Supplied as units of 10 lures (septa) sealed in foil sachets.
  • Unopened sachets can be stored for up to one year in a refrigerator, or up to two years if kept frozen.

Handling & Storage

Instructions for use

  • Open a pack of sticky traps and the Thripline foil sachets of 10 lures (septa) in the crop.
  • Hang traps 12-20 inches (30-50cm) above the top of the crop. Strip papers from both sides of each trap and apply a lure directly to sticky surface on lower part of the trap.
  • The pheromone is in open ‘cup’ of the lure.
  • Place lure horizontally. Thripline pheromone releases can be reduced if this ‘cup’ fills with water, which can happen in crops with overhead irrigation.
  • For monitoring purposes, use one lure for every 1,000 ft2 (40 traps/acre) with a sticky trap.
  • May enhance contact chemical control by luring thrips to surface. Hang 1 lure/1,000ft2 near greenhouse circulation fans for one hour before treatment. Remove lures after treatment for future use.
  • Replace lures and traps every 3-4 weeks or more frequently if they become covered with thrips.

Storage and transport

  • Lures (in sealed packages) can be kept in a refrigerator at about 39°F/4ºC for several weeks or months.
  • They may be kept for up to two years at -0.4°F/-18º
  • Once foil packets are open, use product immediately.