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What colors can adult thrips be?

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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*).

Adult thrips exhibit a range of colors, typically varying from whitish to brown or black. While their larvae are often brightly colored—appearing red, orange, or yellow—the adults are generally more muted in their coloration.1