THRIPS SPECIES AND THEIR PREDATORS ASSOCIATED WITH MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS IN ADANA (TURKEY) WITH A NEW RECORD

Turkey, with a wide variety of flora, contains many medicinal and aromatic plants. Medicinal and aromatic plants are used primarily in the medicine and food industries. The cultivation of these plants is increasing each day in Turkey, but disease and pests are one of the major factors limiting their production. Thysanoptera species are pest insects which feed on medicinal and aromatic plants, reducing the yield and commercial value of these crops, hi this study, thrips on some medicinal and aromatic plants were studied in Adana (Karaisah and Sancam districts). Turkey. Samples were collected from Karaisah in 2015-2016 and from Sancam in 2016. A total of thirteen species belonging to the Thripidae (6 species). Aeolothripidae (3 species), and Phlaeothripidae (4 species) families were identified: Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande). Frankliniella inronsa (Trybom), Thrips rabaci (Lindeman), Thrips hawaiiensis (Morgan). Thrips angusticeps (Uzel), Ceratothrips pallidivestis (Priesner), Anaphothrips sudanensis (Priesner). Aeolothrips collaris (Priesner). Aeolothrips ericae (Bagnall), Haplothrips reuteri (Karny), Haplothrips flavicinctus (Karnyy). Haplothrips gowdeyi (Franklin) and Haplothrips phyllophilus (Priesner). F. occidentalis was the most prevalent species constituting 74% of the total plant species and 45% of the total thrips individuals. T tabaci and T. hawaiiensis shared 66% and 31% in the total samples, respectively, and they represented 33% and 8% of the total thrips specimens, respectively. H. phyllophilus was recorded for the first time in Turkey through this study. Aeolothrips collaris, Orius niger and Chrysoperla cornea were the most numerous and widely distributed predator species observed.