PEST PROFILES: RASPING INSECTS

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Thrip damage Click on image to view larger.

Greenhouse thrips Description: Greenhouse thrips can be distinguished with the head and central area of the body having a distinct network of lines. The body is dark brown with the posterior end much lighter; legs are uniformly yellow; wings are hyaline and narrow, but with a broad base; antennae are slender with a characteristic needle-like tip. Mature adults are about 1/32 inch long. The male is similar to the female, but slightly smaller. Damage: Thrips feed on flowers and foliage. Oviposition and feeding scars reduce the aesthetic quality and marketability of ornamental plants. Life cycle: Each female deposits 25 to 50 eggs in slits in the leaves. Development takes about 30 day for a complete life-cycle. The adults can live 7 weeks on plants growing in the greenhouse. All stages can be found throughout the year in greenhouses. Greenhouse thrips move relatively slowly and rarely fly. They prefer a cool, shady, and fairly moist atmosphere. Often the fruit is preferred to the leaves. Since males are not common, reproduction is usually by parthenogenesis.