A UF team has produced a detailed portrait of a deadly invasive insect called the short-spined thrip, offering the first complete biological roadmap needed to design effective integrated pest management programs for the species that destroys ornamental and food plants. In warm climates, the insect completes its life cycle in fewer than 13 days. This fast development allows it to make rapid inroads in warm climates.

The study also confirmed that females can produce male offspring without mating, so “from a single female, we can have the emergence of a new population,” says Alexandra Revynthi. “If that female is resistant to a pesticide, she can give birth to resistant offspring, creating a big challenge for the sustainable management of this pest.”

• Alexandra Revynthi