Male sexual aggregations are a common territorial, mating‐related or resource‐based, behaviour observed in diverse organisms, including insects such as thrips. The influence of factors such as plant substrate, time of day, and geographic location on aggregation of thrips is uncertain, therefore we monitored the dispersion of male and female bean flower thrips (BFT), Megalurothrips sjostedti (Trybom) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), on cowpea, Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. (Fabaceae), over three cowpea growth stages and across three cowpea‐growing areas of Kenya. Our results indicated that for all the crop growth stages, the density of BFTs varied over the time of day, with higher densities at 10:00, 13:00, and 16:00 hours than at 07:00 hours. Thrips densities did not differ among blocks at the budding stage, but they did at peak flowering and podding stages. Dispersion indices suggested that both male and female BFTs were aggregated. Active male aggregation occurred only on green plant parts and it varied across blocks, crop stages, and locations. Similarly, active female aggregation was observed in peak flowering and podding stages. Such active aggregation indicates a semiochemical or behaviour‐mediated aggregation. Identification of such a semiochemical may offer new opportunities for refining monitoring and management strategies for BFT on cowpea, the most important grain legume in sub‐Saharan Africa.

中文翻译：

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豇豆 (Vigna unguiculata) 上的豆花蓟马 (Megalurothrips sjostedti) 的两性主动聚集

雄性性聚集是在不同生物体（包括蓟马等昆虫）中观察到的一种常见的领土、交配相关或基于资源的行为。植物基质、一天中的时间和地理位置等因素对蓟马聚集的影响是不确定的，因此我们监测了雄性和雌性豆花蓟马（BFT）、Megalurothrips sjostedti（Trybom）（缨翅目：蓟马科）、豇豆，豇豆（L.）Walp。（豆科），跨越三个豇豆生长阶段，跨越肯尼亚的三个豇豆种植区。我们的结果表明，对于所有作物生长阶段，BFT 的密度随一天的时间而变化，10:00、13:00 和 16:00 时的密度高于 07:00 时。在萌芽阶段，块间蓟马密度没有差异，但它们在开花和结荚的高峰期做到了。分散指数表明男性和女性 BFT 都被聚合了。活跃的雄性聚集仅发生在绿色植物部分，并且随着区块、作物阶段和位置的不同而不同。同样，在开花和结荚高峰期观察到活跃的雌性聚集。这种主动聚集表明信息化学或行为介导的聚集。鉴定这种化学信息素可能为改进豇豆 BFT 的监测和管理策略提供新的机会，豇豆是撒哈拉以南非洲最重要的谷物豆类。在开花和结荚高峰期观察到活跃的雌性聚集。这种主动聚集表明信息化学或行为介导的聚集。鉴定这种化学信息素可能为改进豇豆 BFT 的监测和管理策略提供新的机会，豇豆是撒哈拉以南非洲最重要的谷物豆类。在开花和结荚高峰期观察到活跃的雌性聚集。这种主动聚集表明信息化学或行为介导的聚集。鉴定这种化学信息素可能为改进豇豆 BFT 的监测和管理策略提供新的机会，豇豆是撒哈拉以南非洲最重要的谷物豆类。