Caught efectiveness on sticky trapson Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande), in greenhouse pepper and weedy areas in La Plata.

Studies about caught efectiveness on western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande) either on blue and white sticky traps were carried out in greenhouse pepper and weedy areas. Seasonal abundance of these thrips was studied by counting thrips specimens in the flowers - and in the leaves - as well as those collected on sticky blue traps. Into the pepper crop, the spatial distribution was aggregated. The most of specimens collected were accounted in flowers. Total thrips collected on blue traps were higher than on white ones. But the caught efectiveness can be not generalized for different crops: the host species were more important than the color used. Although two other thrips species, Frankliniella schultzei Trybom. and Trips tabaci Lindeman, were present, its abundance in pepper crops was low compared to that of F. occidentalis. Into the weedy areas, they had a larger relative importance than in pepper. These three thrips species were the only vector associated to the tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) present at the sampled area. Significant positive correlations were obtained between the number of F. occidentalis collected in pepper flowers and either the number of total trips collected and the number of F. occidentalis collected on blue and white sticky traps.

Key words: Frankliniella occidentalis, trips, sticky traps, pepper, wild plants.