Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Some classifications place in a "hemipteroid assemblage", e.g.,
Tree of LifeExplanation of Names
Thysanoptera = "fringe wing", Greek--thysanos = fringe plus pteron = wing. (The wings of thrips are characteristically fringed with long hairs)
The word
thrips is singular and plural; there is no such word as
"thrip" (in other words, "I saw a thrips" is an example of correct usage). The word
thrips itself is said to be from a Greek word, meaning "wood louse" or woodworm, referring to their abundance in dead branches, where they feed on fungus (
CSIRO).
The Oxford English Dictionary gives the detailed etymology:
from Latin
thrips (
Pliny), from Greek θριψ, plural θριπεσ, meaning a
woodworm. The OED notes that an analogous English plural form would be
thripses, but this is seldom used.
Numbers
704 species in 141 genera in 5 families in North America, listed on two pages at nearctica.com (
Page 1;
Page 2)
More than 5,000 described species worldwide, divded into two suborders (Terebrantia and Tubulifera).
Size
From 0.5 to 5 mm long, but typically about 1 to 2 mm.
Identification
Thrips are tiny insects, only a few mm in length at most. Thrips may or may not have wings. When wings are present, they are narrow with few or no veins and fringed with long hairs. Thrips have asymmetrical mouthparts (no right mandible) suitable for piercing and sucking. Antennae of thrips have four to nine segments and are relatively short. Tarsi of thrips have one or two segments with one or two claws and are bladder-like at the end.
Habitat
Plant-feeding thrips are generally found on soft living plant tissue, though some larval stages may be spent on soil.
Food
Most species feed on plants, though some feed on fungus spores or are predaceous on other small arthropods. Plant-feeders often cause damage to leaves and flower petals.
Life Cycle
Eggs are laid in plant tissue (when the female has an ovipositor) or in crevices or under bark. In suborder Terebrantia, first two instars are larval stages followed by inactive third (prepupa) and fourth (pupa) stages. In suborder Tubulifera, the third and fourth stages comprise the prepupa stage while a fifth stage is the pupa stage. During prepupa and pupa stages, the immature thrips do not feed.
Remarks
Thrips can often be found on flowers, they are especially visible on light colored flowers like daisies. Be aware that though they are very tiny, they can give a slightly painful bite.
Print References
Milne & Milne, pp. 515-517
(1)
Beverley & Ponsonby, pp. 98-101
(2)
Cranshaw, pp. 386-391
(3)Internet References
Thrips Biology--Univ. Florida
Thysanoptera--Univ. Michigan
virtual-museum.sunsite.ualberta.ca - identified and labeled photos of more than 60 species found in Alberta [page 1 of 14 pages of photos] (Strickland Entomological Museum, U. of Alberta)
www.fcla.edu - history of thrip research in California and checklist of species for that state.
