Liothrips urichi

Taxobox
name = "Liothrips urichi"


image_width =250px
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Arthropoda
classis = Insecta
ordo = Thysanoptera
familia = Phlaeothripidae
subfamilia = Phlaeothripinae
genus = "Liothrips"
species = "L. urichi"
binomial = "Liothrips urichi"
binomial_authority = Karny, 1923

The Clidemia thrips "Liothrips urichi" is a thrips species from Trinidad. It is used as a biological control agent to stop the spread of "Clidemia hirta" (Koster's curse), an invasive plant species that does much damage in many tropical areas of the world.

"L. urichi" was first employed on Fiji in 1930. It was introduced and released in Hawai'i in 1953, where, two months later, it was reproducing on "C. hirta" and was considered established cite web |url=http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/pmis/biocontrol/html/liothrip.html |title="Liothrips urichi" Karny |publisher=US Army Corps of Engineers |accessdate=October 1 |accessyear=2006] . This introduction terminated the problem in pasturelands, but "C. hirta" remains a problem in heavily shaded forests where "L. urichi" does not normally establish itself .

Infested tips of "C. hirta" may contain all stages of "L. urichi" but larvae tend to cause the most damage. The thrips can control mature "C. hirta" by attacking young succulent growth causing tip die-back.

References