Attraction of Melon Thrips, Thrips palmi (Karny), to Color Sheets and LED Lights.

Trapping tests for melon thrips, Thrips palmi, were carried out using 17 colored resin sheets, 8 LED lights, and 2 types of plate. Among the colored resin traps, more thrips were captured by resin with a peak spectral reflectance between 481 and 523 nm. Among the 8 LED light traps covered with a diffuser, more thrips were captured by LED traps with peak wavelengths of 500 or 525 nm. When the LED light traps were covered by a transparent acrylic plate, the 470-nm LED trap captured as many thrips as the 525-nm LED trap, and both produced the highest capture rate. In an experiment that combined LED traps with one of three wavelengths( 470, 500, or 525 nm) and either a diffuser or a transparent plate, the 470-nm LED trap captured fewer thrips than the other combinations, and the 470-nm trap covered by a diffuser captured significantly fewer thrips than the same trap covered by a transparent plate. Significantly higher captures were obtained using 500- or 525-nm LEDs covered by transparent plates. Thus, melon thrips were stably attracted to light at wavelengths from 500 to 525 nm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]