Thrips , from the order Thysanoptera, are minute, winged insects found in tropical and temperate climates. They range in size from 0.6 mm to 15 mm. The name Thysanoptera comes from the Latin term for "fringed wings". Some thrips species are destructive and transmit plant viruses, while others can be beneficial by preying on mites and scale insects or by aiding in flower pollination. Thrips reproduce through bisexual union or parthenogenesis. Thrips develop through egg and larval stages into pupae before becoming adults. They can hibernate during cold winters and are preyed upon by other insects, mites, birds, and lizards. Insecticides or biological controls can control thrips, as well as cultural and handling practices.

What do thrips look like?

Thrips are minute insects, with most being 1.5 to 3 mm (0.06 to 0.12 inch) in length, although they can range from 0.6 mm to 15 mm. Their small size allows them to enter small flowers or cracks. When present, thrips wings are narrow and fringed, which is why they are part of the insect order Thysanoptera, Latin for "fringed wings." Thrips can be elaborately ornamented with hexagonal designs, spines, or body flanges. Thrips larvae tend to be brightly colored, such as red, orange, or yellow, while adults range from whitish to brown or black. Adults have extensible bladders on the tarsi of their legs, which is why they are sometimes called bladder feet.

Where do thrips live?

Thrips are small insects, about 1.5 to 3 mm (0.06 to 0.12 inch) in length, that live in tropical and temperate regions. They can be found in the smallest flowers or tiniest cracks in stems and bark because of their small size. Thrips hibernate as adults or immature forms in detritus, hollow stems, or in the ground in regions with cold winters. Many thrips are more active in wet seasons than in dry seasons in the tropics. Larvae are generally found in shady locations, on the underside of leaves or branches, while adults occasionally occur on the upper side of leaves in bright light. Most thrips rest tightly against leaf veins or in crevices and are primarily active during daylight hours.

Thrips are minute insects, with approximately 5,000 species, that are abundant in tropical and temperate regions. Many thrips feed on plant juices, sometimes destructively. Feeding by thrips can lead to reduced seed production, disfigurement of flowers and fruits, and damage to plant leaves. Some species transmit plant viruses, while others cause plant galls and leaf rolls in warmer climates. However, not all thrips are destructive; some species prey on destructive mites and scale insects, and some aid in flower pollination. Some thrips, such as wheat thrips, infest wheat and damage the grain.

How do thrips affect plants and crops?

Thrips are minute insects, comprising roughly 5,000 species, that can have a substantial economic impact because some species transmit plant viruses and feed destructively on plant juices. Thrips' feeding can lead to disfigured flowers and fruits, reduced seed production, and damaged plant leaves. In warmer climates, certain thrips species induce the formation of plant galls and leaf rolls. To control the spread of plant diseases caused by thrips, measures include using insecticides and biological controls to manage thrips populations, planting disease-resistant crops, and eliminating infected plants.

How are thrips controlled or managed in agriculture?

Thrips, from the order Thysanoptera, are minute insects that can damage plants by feeding, transmitting viruses, and causing gall formation. Effective management strategies include biological, mechanical, and chemical methods. To control thrips, biological controls such as introducing predators and parasites can be employed. Mechanical and cultural controls include using reflective aluminum strips as mulch to repel insects, crop rotation, destroying crop residues, and scheduled planting. Chemical controls involve insecticides, but integrated pest management, which combines multiple methods, is favored to minimize environmental impact. Planting resistant crop varieties also aids in control.

thrips

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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.

At a Glance

thrips summary

thrips

insect order

Also known as: Thysanoptera

Written by

Lewis Judson Stannard

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

History

Top Questions

What are thrips?
Thrips, from the order Thysanoptera, are minute, winged insects found in tropical and temperate climates. They range in size from 0.6 mm to 15 mm. The name Thysanoptera comes from the Latin term for "fringed wings".

Some thrips species are destructive and transmit plant viruses, while others can be beneficial by preying on mites and scale insects or by aiding in flower pollination. Thrips reproduce through bisexual union or parthenogenesis. Thrips develop through egg and larval stages into pupae before becoming adults. They can hibernate during cold winters and are preyed upon by other insects, mites, birds, and lizards. Insecticides or biological controls can control thrips, as well as cultural and handling practices.
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What do thrips look like?
Thrips are minute insects, with most being 1.5 to 3 mm (0.06 to 0.12 inch) in length, although they can range from 0.6 mm to 15 mm. Their small size allows them to enter small flowers or cracks. When present, thrips wings are narrow and fringed, which is why they are part of the insect order Thysanoptera, Latin for "fringed wings." Thrips can be elaborately ornamented with hexagonal designs, spines, or body flanges.

Thrips larvae tend to be brightly colored, such as red, orange, or yellow, while adults range from whitish to brown or black. Adults have extensible bladders on the tarsi of their legs, which is why they are sometimes called bladder feet.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Definition of thrips
2. thrips
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Where do thrips live?
Thrips are small insects, about 1.5 to 3 mm (0.06 to 0.12 inch) in length, that live in tropical and temperate regions. They can be found in the smallest flowers or tiniest cracks in stems and bark because of their small size.

Thrips hibernate as adults or immature forms in detritus, hollow stems, or in the ground in regions with cold winters. Many thrips are more active in wet seasons than in dry seasons in the tropics. Larvae are generally found in shady locations, on the underside of leaves or branches, while adults occasionally occur on the upper side of leaves in bright light. Most thrips rest tightly against leaf veins or in crevices and are primarily active during daylight hours.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Definition of grain thrips
2. thrips
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What do thrips eat?
Thrips are minute insects, with approximately 5,000 species, that are abundant in tropical and temperate regions. Many thrips feed on plant juices, sometimes destructively. Feeding by thrips can lead to reduced seed production, disfigurement of flowers and fruits, and damage to plant leaves. Some species transmit plant viruses, while others cause plant galls and leaf rolls in warmer climates. However, not all thrips are destructive; some species prey on destructive mites and scale insects, and some aid in flower pollination. Some thrips, such as wheat thrips, infest wheat and damage the grain.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Definition of thrips
2. thrips
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How do thrips affect plants and crops?
Thrips are minute insects, comprising roughly 5,000 species, that can have a substantial economic impact because some species transmit plant viruses and feed destructively on plant juices. Thrips' feeding can lead to disfigured flowers and fruits, reduced seed production, and damaged plant leaves. In warmer climates, certain thrips species induce the formation of plant galls and leaf rolls.

To control the spread of plant diseases caused by thrips, measures include using insecticides and biological controls to manage thrips populations, planting disease-resistant crops, and eliminating infected plants.
5 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How are thrips controlled or managed in agriculture?
Thrips, from the order Thysanoptera, are minute insects that can damage plants by feeding, transmitting viruses, and causing gall formation. Effective management strategies include biological, mechanical, and chemical methods.

To control thrips, biological controls such as introducing predators and parasites can be employed. Mechanical and cultural controls include using reflective aluminum strips as mulch to repel insects, crop rotation, destroying crop residues, and scheduled planting. Chemical controls involve insecticides, but integrated pest management, which combines multiple methods, is favored to minimize environmental impact. Planting resistant crop varieties also aids in control.
6 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

thrips, (order Thysanoptera), any of approximately 5,000 species of insects that are among the smallest of the winged insects and are abundant in the tropical and temperate regions of the world. Thrips are economically important since some species transmit plant viruses. Feeding by thrips may reduce seed production, disfigure flowers and fruits, and damage plant leaves. In warm areas a number of them cause plant galls and leaf rolls. On the other hand, a few species prey on destructive mites and scale insects, and a number may aid in the pollination of flowers.

Most thrips are 1.5 to 3 mm (0.06 to 0.12 inch) in length, with the smallest being about 0.6 mm (0.02 inch) and the largest about 15 mm (0.6 inch). Because of their minute size, they can enter the smallest flowers or tiniest cracks in stems and bark. Their wings, when present, are narrow and fringed, hence the name Thysanoptera (Latin for “fringed wings”). Despite their Lilliputian size, thrips are often elaborately ornamented with hexagonal designs, spines, or body flanges. The bristles (setae) of some are expanded at the tips or elongated, or the body wall may be expanded into prongs or forks. The larvae of thrips tend to be brightly coloured (red, orange, or yellow), whereas the adults range from whitish to brown or black. Adults have extensible bladders on the tarsi of the legs, as suggested by the common name bladder feet. The term thrips is both singular and plural.

Natural history

Life cycle

The egg stage is followed by two larval stages, during which all the immature feeding occurs. The development of thrips is unusual in that, although they belong to a group of insects that usually undergo simple metamorphosis, they have pupae resembling those that occur in insects that undergo complete metamorphosis. There may be one, two, or three pupal stages in which no feeding occurs.

The primary method of reproduction among thrips is by bisexual union. The males frequently are shorter lived than females, and mating often takes place early in the life span, when the adults first appear. Reproduction by unfertilized eggs (parthenogenesis) has been known to occur occasionally.

Thrips in the suborder Terebrantia always lay eggs, as do most thrips in the more advanced suborder Tubulifera. Hatching of eggs within the female (ovoviparity), occurs in some highly evolved members of the Tubulifera. Eggs are elongated, oval to kidney shaped, faintly to distinctly sculptured, and, as is the case in other minute insects, are proportionately large, often occupying two or three abdominal segments of the female before laying. Ordinarily, eggs of the Terebrantia are inserted into living plant tissue in a slit prepared by the sawlike ovipositor of the female. By contrast, eggs of the Tubulifera, whose females have no ovipositor, are pushed under bark, in or between flowers and leaf sheaths, or are glued onto leaf or bark surfaces. Eggs take from 3 to 16 days to hatch according to the species and conditions.

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Although similar in overall form to the adult, the larvae of thrips are smaller and simpler in structure. The long anal bristles characteristic of larvae may hold droplets of excreted liquid that are deposited on leaf surfaces. The presence of dark-coloured spots of excreta adjacent to light-coloured feeding zones are some typical signs of thrips damage.

The first larval stage is short, lasting only a few days. The second may last up to many months when estivation or hibernation occurs. In the Terebrantia the second stage larva transforms into a prepupa, whereas in the Tubulifera an abbreviated form, the primipupa, is part of the sequence of development and is followed by the prepupal form. The prepupal stage lasts only a few hours to several days and gives rise to the final pupal stage, which may be of short or long duration. Pupation takes place in the ground in earthen cells (in the case of many advanced Terebrantia), in cocoons (in many primitive Terebrantia), or on a host plant (in many advanced Terebrantia and the Tubulifera). Some thrips, for example, the ear thrips, have only one generation per year, whereas others such as the onion thrips may have several generations each growing season.

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Ecology

In regions having cold winters, thrips hibernate as adults or immature forms in detritus, hollow stems, or in the ground. Those that perish with the cold are replaced each year by spring migrants from warmer areas. In the tropics, many thrips are more active in the wet than in the dry seasons. Some thrips are sensitive to relative humidity. Although larvae are generally found in shady locations, on the underside of leaves or branches, adults occasionally occur on the upper side of leaves in bright light. Most thrips rest tightly against leaf veins or in crevices. They are primarily active during the daylight hours.

Thrips are preyed upon by many insects (including other thrips), mites, birds, salamanders, and lizards. However, heavy rains, winds, and dust are probably as destructive to thrips as are predators.

thrips

Natural history

Life cycle

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Ecology