Thrips

Natural Habitat

Thrips are found in a wide variety of habitats where their host plants or prey are present. This includes gardens, agricultural fields, greenhouses, forests, and grasslands. They often inhabit the inner parts of flowers, young leaves, and buds, where they are protected.

Diet & Feeding

Most thrips species are phytophagous (plant-feeding), using their single, modified mandible to pierce plant cells and suck out the contents. They feed on various parts of plants, including leaves, flowers, fruits, and pollen. Some are predatory, feeding on other small arthropods like mites and their eggs, while a few are fungivorous (fungus-feeding).

Behavior Patterns

Thrips are active insects, especially in warm weather. They quickly move around on plants, flowers, and fruits, often unnoticed due to their small size. Many species reproduce parthenogenetically, meaning females can lay eggs without fertilization, leading to rapid population growth. Their life cycle typically involves egg, two larval instars (nymphs), prepupa, pupa, and adult stages. Prepupae and pupae often drop to the soil or leaf litter to pupate. Adults are winged, but flight can be weak, and they are often dispersed by wind.

Risks & Benefits

Potential risks include significant damage to agricultural crops and ornamental plants due to feeding (causing discoloration, distortion, and scarring) and acting as vectors for plant viruses, particularly tospoviruses. Benign species exist and some are beneficial as predators of pest mites and other small insects, contributing to natural pest control.

Identified on: 6/26/2025