Thrips (also known as Thunderbugs or Thunderflies)
Scientific Name: Thysanoptera
Order & Family: Order: Thysanoptera; Family: Thripidae (common)
Size: Minute, typically 0.5 to 2 mm in length (barely visible to the naked eye, appearing as tiny black threads or specks).
Natural Habitat
Found primarily on plants, flowers, and agricultural crops; they may enter homes or land on skin during hot, humid weather or harvest seasons.
Diet & Feeding
Mostly herbivores feeding on plant sap and cellular fluids; some species are predatory on mites or other small insects.
Behavior Patterns
Poor fliers that drift on wind currents; often swarm before thunderstorms; attracted to light-colored surfaces and bright colors; capable of curling their abdomen upward.
Risks & Benefits
Risks: Can cause minor, prickly irritation to human skin ('exploratory biting') and are major agricultural pests. Benefits: Predatory species help control mite populations; some aid in pollination.
Identified on: 2/6/2026