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How are thrips bodies shaped?

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Detailed illustration of a western flower thrips, Frankliniella occidentalis, showing its elongated yellow-brown body, six legs, and two pairs of fringed wings spread outward. — thrips Western flower thrips (*Frankliniella occidentalis*).

Thrips are minute insects, typically measuring 1.5 to 3 mm in length, characterized by a body that is often elaborately ornamented with spines, hexagonal designs, or body flanges. Their physical structure varies by suborder and developmental stage:1

Head and Thorax: The head is slightly skewed with a posteriorly directed, asymmetrical mouthcone. The thorax bears the legs and, in winged species, simple, straplike wings that feature long, hairlike fringes. Adults possess extensible bladders on their tarsi, which aid in movement.231
Abdomen: The abdomen is elongated and generally flattened dorso-ventrally, consisting of 10 distinct segments. The shape of the terminal segment is a key diagnostic feature: it is rounded in male Terebrantia, split ventrally in female Terebrantia, and distinctly tubelike in the suborder Tubulifera.23
Ornamentation: Some species exhibit specialized bristles (setae) that may be elongated or expanded at the tips, and the body wall itself can be expanded into various prongs or forks.1