Action Spectrum of Phototactic Behavior and Compound Eye Spectral Sensitivity in the Yellow Tea Thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood (Thysanoptera: Thripidae)

Abstract

We studied the effective action spectrum of phototactic behavior and compound eye spectral sensitivity in the yellow tea thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis Hood. We compared positive phototactic responses in S. dorsalis among several light wavelengths (355, 405, 468, 525, 590, 631, 660 nm). Scirtothrips dorsalis showed strong positive phototaxis at 355 and 525 nm. We determined the spectral sensitivity of the compound eye by recording electroretinographic (ERG) responses to monochromatic stimuli ranging from 300 to 740 nm. The spectral sensitivity showed peaks at 360 and 520 nm. These results suggest that the action spectrum of the phototactic behavior of S. dorsalis matches its eye's spectral sensitivity.