How might fringed wings have helped tiny ancestral thrips fly?

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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*).

Because of the minute size of thrips, the development of fringed wings was likely favored to overcome the disproportionate drag encountered on the wings' upstroke. By utilizing a fringed structure rather than a solid surface, these insects could effectively navigate the aerodynamic challenges posed by their small scale.1