Thrips

Several species of thrips are a major problem in greenhouse horticulture. The Western flower thrips (Frankliniella occidentalis) is the most damaging species. Thrips form the order Thysanoptera, a name that literally means ‘fringed wings’, and refers to the eyelash-like fringe of hairs along both edges of the thin wings. There are more than 6,000 known species. Most are harmless, some are predators, and fewer than 20 species can cause problems in agriculture and horticulture. Thrips are small insects (0.5-14 mm), with the largest species found in the tropics. In temperate regions they are not larger than 2.5 mm. All thrips species that cause damage in green-houses belong to the family Thripidae.