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When do thrips usually mate?

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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 typically mate early in their life span, shortly after the adults first appear. While the primary method of reproduction is through bisexual union, some species are also known to reproduce occasionally via parthenogenesis, which involves the development of unfertilized eggs.1