How many species of thrips are known worldwide?

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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*).

There are approximately 5,000 known species of thrips worldwide. These insects, which belong to the order Thysanoptera, are among the smallest winged insects and are found in abundance across both temperate and tropical regions.1