Bionomics and management of Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood (Insecta: Thysanoptera: Thripidae) on Camellia sinensis (L) O. Kuntze in tea plantations of north-eastern India

Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) is a polyphagous and cosmopolitan pest. Its infestation on tea plant has increased considerably in the last few decades as a result of which it has now got established as one of the major sucking pests in the tea-growing areas of north-eastern (NE) India, and the rest of India at large. A number of factors, such as climate change, deforestation, over-reliance on pesticides, coupled with the capability of thrips to sustain and survive in monocultures, high reproductive rate both by parthenogenesis and sexual mode, short generation time, ability to survive as cryptic, quiescent prepupa and pupa and development of resistance to insecticides influence their periodical outbreaks. Tea thrips cause both direct and indirect damage to tea plants by feeding as well as egg laying in tender leaf tissues and buds causing stunted plant growth and significant yield loss. In this review, all available details pertaining to S. dorsalis infesting the tea plants have been summarised in the context of its management.