Thrips

Order Thysanoptera

Appearance

•  Adults 1-2mm, but some tropical species may be 10mm.
•  Adults vary in colour from yellow-brown to black.
•  They are characterised by their slender bodies and frilly wings.

Lifecycle

•  Eggs are laid singly by the female who inserts them into slits cut in a flower or leaf. The female does not need to mate to produce viable eggs. All males are the product of unfertilised eggs.
•  The emerging nymph resembles the adult but is smaller and paler in colour.
•  The lifecycle is complete within two to five weeks dependent on species and environmental conditions.

Habits

•  Thrips feed inside developing flower buds and in newly expanding leaves of plants. Damage is not seen until the deformed flowers / leaves expand.
•  As they remove sap from the plant, the leaf tissue dries out giving the leaves a silvery flecked appearance.
•  Damage to flowers occurs by white spots being formed. A red-brown liquid can also speckle the flowers and/or the underside of the leaves.