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The
Diversity of The World of Life
True
Insects (Insecta)
Thrips
(Thysanoptera)
Representatives
Thrips
Biology
APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF KNOWN SPECIES WORLDWIDE
Over
4500
DESCRIPTION
Thrips are tiny (usually about 1 mm long),
slender, and pale- to dark-colored. The antennae are short.
The mouthparts are a cone-shaped beak at the base of the underside of
the head. The wings, usually
present, are long, very narrow, flat, and fringed with long hairs.
A thrips usually curves its tail over its back when it crawls.
METAMORPHOSIS
The eggs of a thrips are usually laid within plant tissues.
Thrips have a rather complex type of metamorphosis:
The hatchling and the stage after the first molt -- both called
"larvae" -- look like small, active adults, although they have
no wings; the
later young, including the "pupa" (just before the molt to the
adult), do have small wings but are inactive (and are sometimes found
in a cocoon). "Parthenogenesis"
(development of eggs without fertilization) is a common form of (quick) reproduction
among thrips.
HABITATS
Often amassing great numbers, thrips are usually found on plants, as
within
flowers, or on debris.
FOODS
Many thrips feed on the spores of fungi, most feed on higher
plants, and a few prey on other small arthropods.
DAMAGES/BENEFITS
Although some may prey on pest mites or insects, many thrips
feed on crops and infect them with diseases.
Although they are not damaged, lawns can harbor thrips,
some of which will bite us human beings.
True
Insects (Insecta)
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