Unlike the Hemiptera (true bugs), the right mandible of thrips is reduced and vestigial – and in some species completely absent. There are several different species of thrips, and the exact lifecycle and how they thrips damage plants depends on the species. Note that some types of herbicides can create injury that mimics thrips injury. If you suspect you have a thrips and/or thrips vectored pest problem, remember that it is important to have the thrips species and the virus identified. Thrips are a major pest of greenhouse crops in Ontario. Thrips may also leave excrement on plants. Thrips are a common garden pest that feed on and infect a variety of different plants. In addition, certain types of thrips can spread fatal plant viruses, including the tomato spotted wilt or impatiens necrotic spot. Generally, though, thrips hibernate in soil through the winter. Browse Thrips Species A. Acanthothrips albivittatus; Acanthothrips argentifer; Acanthothrips nodicornis; Adraneothrips ephippium; Adraneothrips faustus; Adraneothrips saturatus For example, Cuban Laurel thrips are best controlled by minute pirate bugs and green lacewing larvae. The nasty creatures can look like tiny black slivers lurking under leaves. Thrips species can be difficult to differentiate in the field, and virus symptoms may resemble other problems. However, the types of thrips that infest houseplants are usually 0.04” (1 mm) long. Thrips can be difficult to manage because they develop quickly. Determining the classification is not difficult if you have a hand lens. Because of their minute size, thrips are incredibly challenging to spot. If thrips injury is found, inspect a portion of these seedlings for live thrips. Thrips are technically a less common insect pest, but I've found that they are most prevalent in my household. Under a microscope, thrips resemble minuscule lobsters, and they may or may not have wings. Thrips, order Thysanoptera, are tiny, slender insects with fringed wings. Citrus thrips are better control by Euseiues mites. Many species can complete a generation in just 2 weeks. Species of thrips can feed on fungi, plants, and other insects depending on their classification. To identify this nuisance in your garden, check the leaves, buds, flowers, and fruits of your plants for white splotches and black feces. Thrips have asymmetrical mouthparts unique to the group. Thrips feeding is usually accompanied by black varnishlike flecks of frass (excrement). They feed by puncturing the epidermal (outer) layer of host tissue and sucking out the cell contents, which results in stippling, discolored flecking, or silvering of the leaf surface. Garden soil, which is loose and easy to burrow into, is a particular thrip favorite. 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