Thrips are not the easiest pest to control but research is focusing on new and better ways of using biopesticides and natural enemies, writes Claire Shaddick. Trips are narrow bodied insects and just 1 -2mm long, which makes species virtually impossible to identify without expert help. Two types are commonly encountered on protected edible and ornamental crops, Thrips tabaci or the onion or tobacco thrips, and Frankliniella occidentalis, western flower thrips. The adults and larvae of both species scar and fleck leaves, flowers and fruit by feeding on plant cells, which are punctured and emptied. Damaged buds and leaves tear as they expand and fruits become distorted. Leaves and shoots can be stunted by heavy infestations and are also disfigured bythefrass the insects produce.
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