Fantastico il romanzo, Draco!!
E bellissimi anche gli articoli che hai linkato, la lotta biologica della Bioplanet la conosco perché li ho sentiti quando ho fatto l'articolo sulla farfallina dei gerani per il blog - però questa cryptolaemus montrouzieri che si nutre di cocciniglie cotonose promette bene
- ma gli altri sono moltooo interessanti
Ecco l'estratto che ci interessa,
i tripidi sulle orchidee:
"Many thrips species feed on orchids, including western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis; Cuban laurel thrips, Gynaikothrips ficorum; greenhouse thrips, Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis; and flower thrips, Frankliniella bispinosa. Thrips normally feed in flower buds and open flowers. As a result, flowers may be deformed or fail to open. Eventually, flowers turn brown, and petals become streaked or silvery in appearance and discolored.
Thrips are only 0.5 to 4.0 mm long; they are difficult to see with the naked eye. A hand lens is helpful in identifying these pests on plants. Thrips feed by using their mouthparts like a straw to suck up plant juices. For early thrips detection, gently blow into an open flower and watch for thrips crawling inside the blossom.
To minimize orchid pest problems, implement such cultural management strategies as prevention, sanitation, and plant inspection. Prevention is the best strategy for managing orchid pests. Proper cultural conditions, such as the correct amount of water, temperature, light, fertility, and humidity, minimize potential pest problems. Many reference books and manuals on orchid culture are available. Be sure to know the cultural practices of specific orchids being grown.
Sanitation is another strategy to prevent orchid pest problems. Remove all plant debris and old orchid medium. Also, remove old leaf sheaths to eliminate hiding places for mealybugs and scales. Inspect plants on a regular basis by looking underneath leaves to detect the presence of aphids and spider mites. If pests are present, use a hard stream of water to dislodge insects and mites.
Insecticides and miticides are another option when dealing with orchid pests, especially when populations are high. Insecticides such as insecticidal soap, malathion, acephate (Orthene), diazinon (Knox Out), chlorpyrifos (Dursban), and bendiocarb (Turcam/Dycarb) control aphids, mealybugs, scales, and thrips. Thrips are also controlled with spinosad (Conserve) and methiocarb (Mesurol). Twospotted spider mite is controlled with the miticides dicofol (Kelthane), hexakis (Orthonex III), and abamectin (Avid). Be sure to read the label carefully and wear protective clothing. Apply insecticides to control mealybugs and scales when crawlers are present, as this is the most susceptible stage. Be aware that some insecticides and miticides cannot be used on orchids. Many materials have not been tested on orchids, so try any material on a small group of orchids--especially when they are in flower--before exposing the entire crop to an application.
You can also use biological control to deal with insect and mite pests. Biological control involves the use of a pest’s natural enemies, such as parasitoids, predators, and entomopathogenic fungi.
Be sure to control ants, which are attracted to the fluid extracted by orchids, because ants protect aphids, soft scales, and mealybugs from attack by natural enemies. Consult biological control supplier catalogs for natural enemies available for each insect and mite pest."