Thrips are insects belonging to the order Thysanoptera, meaning fringe-winged insects. One common name is thunderflies because large numbers migrate before thunderstorms. Thrips is a unique word because it is both singular and plural. These tiny insects are elongate, cylindrical and 1/25 to 1/8 of an inch in length. The nymphs are pale-yellow and highly active. The adults are usually black or yellow-brown and may have red, black or white markings. Thrips jump when disturbed. The adults may be wingedor wingless. Wings when present are long, narrow, strap-like and fringed with hairs. There are about 264 species in the United States and Canada that feed on plants. Many other species are predaceous. Parthenogenesis (reproduction without mating) occursin many species. Male thrips are usually smaller than the females. The Chilli thrips, Scirtothrips dorsalis (Hood), is native to southern Asia and was first detected in the United States in 2005 on roses in Florida. In 2007, it was discovered on roses inHouston, and in 2009, it was found on Knock Out roses in New Orleans. This thrips feeds on more than 150 species of plants belonging to more than 40 plant families.
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