Abstract

A list of 32 species of thrips recorded from crops or plants in Peninsular Malaysia is presented. Most of the specimens came from a recent survey of cultivated plants, many of which were from the genus Thrips. The specimens were collected by beating vegetation (that is, either the flowers or leaves) over a plastic tray, subjected to a standard dehydration and clearing process before being slide mounted. Slide mounted specimens were then identified using taxonomic keys. This study also recorded two further species from Malaysia: Frankliniella schultzei, a polyphagous tospovirus vector and Stenchaetothrips biformis, the rice thrips. The study reveals thirty-two species recorded as associated with cultivated plants in Malaysia; of these, 17 were found on more than one species of plant.

Key words: Malaysia, thrips, crop, plant, diversity.