Thrips do not feed as propupae or pupae and are sedentary, although they can still walk and run if provoked. We know very little about avocado thrips pupation biology and substantial work is required to improve our understanding of this part of the lifecycle in orchards. For example, we need to determine the number of larvae that pupate on trees, numbers that fall or jump from trees to pupate in the soil, and levels of survivorship and agents responsible for pupal mortality. Following pupation, adult thrips move back onto host plant foliage and young fruit to commence feeding and reproduction. A generalized Scirtothrips life cycle is shown in Figure 2.
Compatible insecticides have short residual activity or are non-toxic to natural enemies.
The botanical insecticide sabadilla is compatible with natural enemies because it has short residual activity and is not toxic to most natural enemies. Sabadilla is a botanical pesticide which is made from the ground seeds of a lily-like Caribbean plant, Schoenocaulon officinale . At present, we have only sabadilla to use in control of avocado thrips. Insecticide resistance is the developed ability of an insect population to withstand insecticides that were formerly effective. The rate at which resistance develops in a population is related to intensity of insecticide use.