Aeolothrips

Aeolothrips species are distinguished from other thrips genera by the presence of two dark transverse bands on the forewings, creating a characteristic black-and-white banded pattern. This contrasts with Franklinothrips vespiformis, which lacks such banding. The forewings are long and narrow with fringed margins typical of Thysanoptera. Both sexes are fully winged. Body size and specific banding patterns vary among species; for example, A. fasciatus displays humeral, median, and apical white bands, while other species may show only humeral and post-median bands. Antennae are relatively long, with males typically having shorter antennae than females in some species.

Found in agricultural crops including soybean, pea, narrow-leafed lupine, and oilseed rape; also occurs in wild meadows, arable fields, and olive plantations. Adults and larvae frequently inhabit flowers of host plants where hunting occurs.

Widespread across Europe, Asia, and other regions; recorded from Iran, Slovenia, Poland, and Scandinavian countries (Denmark, Norway, Sweden). Individual species have more restricted ranges; for example, A. gloriosus was first recorded in Slovenia in 2011, and two new species were described from Iran in 2022.

Adults active during flowering periods of host plants; in Slovenia, A. gloriosus females were recorded in olive blossoms in May.

Both larvae and adults prey on small invertebrates including other thrips species (at least 44 documented), mite larvae (Tetranychus urticae, Panonychus ulmi, Cenopalpus pulcher), aphids (Aphis fabae, Aphis craccivora, Acyrthosiphon pisum, Myzus persicae), and eggs and larvae of small insects. Adults supplement their predatory diet with pollen of host plants.

• Glycine max - habitatsoybean
• Pisum sativum - habitatpea
• Lupinus angustifolius - habitatnarrow-leafed lupine
• Brassica napus - habitatoilseed rape
• Olea europaea - habitatolive tree
• Allium species - habitatonion and related crops, associated with prey Thrips tabaci

Both larval and adult stages are predatory. Larvae often hunt in flowers of host plants. Specific details of egg, pupal, and developmental stages vary by species and are not comprehensively documented for the genus.

Larvae actively hunt prey in flowers; predation typically begins after approximately 23 minutes of searching, with capture and subduing of prey taking approximately 26 minutes. A single larva can kill up to eight adult Thrips tabaci in 12 hours under laboratory conditions. Adults exhibit phenotypic plasticity in body size and morphometric traits in response to geographic locality and host plant species.

Predator controlling populations of phytophagous thrips and other small invertebrate pests in agricultural ecosystems. Recognized as a native biological control agent with potential for management of thrips pests including Thrips tabaci, Frankliniella occidentalis, and mites. Contributes to natural pest suppression in crops such as soybean, pea, and onion.

Evaluated as a biological control agent for agricultural pest thrips. Some species may have economic importance in olive production and other cropping systems through predation on plant pests. Not known to cause direct damage to crops or transmit plant diseases.

• Franklinothrips vespiformisAlso predatory but lacks the characteristic banded wing pattern of Aeolothrips; has different body shape and coloration
• ThripsPhytophagous genus in family Thripidae with unbanded wings and different ecological role; lacks predatory behavior
• Echinothrips americanusHas banded wings but only a distinct white band at wing base rather than alternating transverse bands; phytophagous rather than predatory

• predatory thrips
• biological control
• agricultural pest management
• banded wings
• Thysanoptera

• BugGuide
• Wikipedia
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
• ID Challenge #6 | Beetles In The Bush
• First record of Aeolothrips gloriosus Bagnall (Thysanoptera: Aeolothripidae) in Slovenia
• Two new species of the genus Aeolothrips (Thysanoptera: Aeolothripidae) from Iran
• The Effects of Locality and Host Plant on the Body Size of Aeolothrips intermedius (Thysanoptera: Aeolothripidae) in the Southwest of Poland
• Predation Capacity of the Banded Thrips Aeolothrips intermedius for the Biological Control of the Onion Thrips Thrips tabaci
• Distribution of Aeolothrips intermedius Bagnall (Thysanoptera: Aeolothripidae) and its potential prey Thysanoptera species on different cultivated host plants