TSWV infects more than 200 species of plants. These plants include economic crops such as tomato and pepper as well as weed species. Winter annuals such as chickweed, shepardspurse, swinecress, and sowthistle are known to be TSWV hosts. Weeds may serve as a reservoir of the virus in areas affected by tomato spotted wilt. The virus is spread by at least five species of thrips.
Thrips become infective only when they acquire the virus while feeding on infected plants as larvae.
Larvae can transmit the virus before they pupate, but more commonly adults transmit the virus. Adults remain infective throughout their life. Thrips are generally a widespread insect pest of peanut. Therefore, the potential exists for TSWV to be an important disease in peanut each season. Thrips control with granular insecticides is usually recommended where losses from TSWV have occurred in peanut.