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Thrips
(John Obermeyer, Purdue University)

Common Name: Thrips

Order: Thysanoptera

Family: Thripidae

Pest Status: Thrips are tiny insects that can become plant pests as they scrape the epidermal leaf layer off of plant leaves. They can be especially problematic in greenhouse production.

Appearance: Thrips are slender and minute (1/20-inch long) and have long fringes on the margins of both pairs of their long, narrow wings. Magnification is required to make out important morphological features. Most thrips range in color from translucent white to dark brown.

Life Cycle: Female thrips deposit eggs in slits made in the leaf tissue. The eggs hatch within a week into active nymphs. The developmental period from egg to adult ranges from 11 days to three weeks. Parthenogenesis occurs in many species.

Where to Collect: Some species can be found within buds and furled leaves of plants. Others can be collected by shaking flower blossoms above dark paper.