Pollination in Wedelia chinensis (Osbeck) Merr and Tridax procumbens L. (Compositae) by Thrips (Thysanoptera: Insecta)
Abstract
Available information on the role of thrips as pollinators of various species of Chenopodiaceae, Sterculiaceae, Ericaceae, Verbenaceae and Palmae pertains to the works of Muller (1883), Shaw (1914), Annand (1926), Hilles (1941), Hagerup (1950), Hagerup and Hagerup (1953), Ananthakrishnan (1973), Mathur and Mohan Ram (1978) and Syed (1978). Although Bailey (1937), Raizada (1961), and Bullock (1964) have provided some basic information on the thrips-Compositae association, their specific role as pollinators has not received any particular attention. Sufficient evidence exists suggesting the role of thrips as pollinators in Compositae, and an attempt has been made to study the role of Microcephalothrips abdominalis (Crawford), Frankliniella schultzei (Trybom), Haplothrips tardus Priesner, and Haplothrips gowdeyi (Franklin), frequenting the floral heads of Wedelta chinensis and Tridax procumbens.