How is thrips metamorphosis unusual among insects with simple metamorphosis?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

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*).

The development of thrips is considered unusual because, although they belong to a group of insects that typically undergo simple metamorphosis, they possess pupae that resemble those found in insects undergoing complete metamorphosis.1

While insects with simple metamorphosis generally transition through egg, nymph, and adult stages, thrips include one, two, or three non-feeding pupal stages in their life cycle. Depending on the species, these pupal stages may occur in the ground, within cocoons, or on a host plant.12