Thripidae
Guides
Arorathrips
A genus of thrips in the family Thripidae, subfamily Thripinae. The genus was described by Bhatti in 1990 and is considered related to Chirothrips. The single species A. mexicanus has been recorded from Iran, where it was collected from mixed grasses in Hormozgan Province.
Bregmatothrips
Bregmatothrips is a genus of thrips in the family Thripidae, subfamily Thripinae, established by Hood in 1912. Species within this genus have been documented from the Irano-Turkmenian region, Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and Turkey. Two species, B. bournieri and B. dimorphus, have been recorded from cultivated plants including medicinal and aromatic crops and cereals. The genus is characterized by morphological features typical of the Thripinae, though specific diagnostic traits require examination of type material.
Caliothrips cinctipennis
bean thrips
Caliothrips cinctipennis is a minute phytophagous thrips in the family Thripidae, commonly known as bean thrips. Adults measure approximately 1 mm in length and are distinguished by black-and-white banded forewings. The species is a documented pest of soybean (Glycine max) and has been recorded in both North and South America. Populations can increase rapidly under dry conditions due to a short life cycle of approximately two weeks from egg to egg.
Echinothrips
Echinothrips is a genus of thrips in the family Thripidae containing approximately seven described species. The genus is best known through Echinothrips americanus, a polyphagous pest of greenhouse and agricultural crops that has spread globally from its native range in eastern North America. Species in this genus are phytophagous, feeding on leaves, flowers, and fruits by piercing and sucking plant cells. The genus exhibits haplo-diploid reproduction with arrhenotokous parthenogenesis, where unfertilized eggs produce haploid males and fertilized eggs produce diploid females.
Frankliniella
Frankliniella is a genus of thrips in the family Thripidae containing approximately 230 species with cosmopolitan distribution. The genus was established by Karny in 1910. Several species are significant agricultural pests, notably Frankliniella occidentalis (western flower thrips) and F. intonsa, which cause direct feeding damage and vector plant viruses including tomato spotted wilt virus. Species exhibit considerable morphological variability, complicating identification.
Heliothrips
Heliothrips is a genus of thrips in the family Thripidae comprising approximately 18 described species. The genus includes economically significant pests, most notably Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis (greenhouse thrips), which infests a wide range of cultivated plants. Members of this genus are characterized by their fringed wings and rasping-sucking mouthparts. Several species have been documented as polyphagous herbivores with broad host ranges spanning multiple plant families.
thripsThripidaepestagriculturehorticulturegreenhouse-thripspolyphagousHeliothrips-haemorrhoidalisbiological-control-targetquarantine-pestkiwifruit-peststrawberry-pestavocado-pestornamental-pestworldwide-distributionfringed-wingsThysanopteraPanchaetothripinaeHaliday-183618-speciesgeneralist-herbivorerasping-sucking-mouthpartsHeliothrips haemorrhoidalis
greenhouse thrips, glasshouse thrip, black tea thrips
Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis, commonly known as the greenhouse thrips, is a polyphagous pest species in the family Thripidae. It is parthenogenetic with rare males, and reproduces rapidly in favorable conditions. The species is a significant agricultural pest of greenhouse crops, ornamentals, and fruit trees worldwide, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. It has been introduced globally and is subject to biological control efforts using parasitoids such as Thripobius semiluteus and Thripobius javae.
Limothrips
Grain thrips, Barley thrips
Limothrips is a genus of thrips in the family Thripidae comprising six recognized species. The genus includes significant agricultural pests, particularly Limothrips cerealium (grain thrips) and Limothrips denticornis (barley thrips), which feed on cereals and grasses. Species exhibit wing dimorphism, with both winged (macropterous) and wingless (apterous) forms documented. Several species have been documented as crop pests causing reduced seed set in wheat, oats, and barley.
Megalurothrips
bean flower thrips, oriental bean thrips, Asian bean thrips
Megalurothrips is a genus of thrips in family Thripidae, established by Bagnall in 1915. The genus contains approximately 15 described species distributed across the Old World and Australia. The most economically significant species, Megalurothrips usitatus, is a major pest of leguminous crops, particularly cowpea, soybean, and common bean, causing damage to flowers and developing pods. Several species have been introduced beyond their native ranges, with M. usitatus recently detected in the Americas.
Neohydatothrips
soybean thrips (N. variabilis), marigold thrips (N. samayunkur)
Neohydatothrips is the most species-rich genus in the Thripidae subfamily Sericothripinae, with approximately 120 described species. Members are phytophagous thrips that feed and breed on leaves and flowers of diverse host plants. Several species are economically significant agricultural pests and plant virus vectors, including N. variabilis (soybean thrips), which transmits soybean vein necrosis orthotospovirus. The genus has a global distribution with approximately 70% of species occurring in the New World.
Neohydatothrips samayunkur
marigold thrips, French marigold thrips
Neohydatothrips samayunkur is a thrips species in the family Thripidae, commonly known as the marigold thrips. It is an economically significant pest of Tagetes species (marigolds), feeding on flowers and leaves. The species has a broad intercontinental distribution spanning Africa, Australia, Europe, Northern Asia, Central America, and North America. Originally described by Kudo in 1995 and validated by Nakahara in 1999, it has been intercepted at U.S. quarantine ports and represents a new country record for Egypt.
Panchaetothripinae
Panchaetothripinae is a subfamily of thrips within Thripidae, first described by Bagnall in 1912. It comprises approximately 144 species across 43 genera globally, though earlier estimates cited 11 genera and more than 50 species. Members are predominantly associated with plant leaves and include several economically significant pest species. The subfamily has been consistently recovered as monophyletic in phylogenetic analyses. Notable genera include Heliothrips, Caliothrips, Selenothrips, and Hercinothrips, with species distributed across tropical and subtropical regions worldwide.
Salpingothrips
Salpingothrips is a genus of thrips in the family Thripidae, established by Hood in 1935. The genus contains at least three described species: S. aimotofus, S. hoodi, and S. minimus. These thrips belong to the subfamily Thripinae, one of the largest and most diverse groups within the Thripidae. No observations of this genus have been recorded on iNaturalist, suggesting it may be poorly documented, rare, or understudied.
Scirtothrips
leaf-feeding thrips, citrus thrips, chilli thrips
Scirtothrips is a genus of leaf-feeding thrips in the family Thripidae, established by Shull in 1909. The genus includes economically significant pest species such as the chilli thrips (S. dorsalis), citrus thrips (S. citri), and South African citrus thrips (S. aurantii), which damage agricultural crops through piercing-sucking feeding on tender leaves, buds, and fruit. Species exhibit diverse host associations ranging from highly host-specific forms on endemic Australian Acacia to broadly polyphagous invasive pests. The genus has undergone taxonomic revision, with Labiothrips synonymised under Scirtothrips.
Scolothrips
six-spotted thrips
Scolothrips is a genus of predatory thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) established by Hinds in 1902. Species within this genus are obligate predators of spider mites (Tetranychidae) and related mite families (Tenuipalpidae). The genus includes economically important species such as S. longicornis and S. sexmaculatus, which have been studied for biological control potential. Some species show apparent host specificity, while others feed on multiple mite prey species. Development, reproduction, and survival are strongly influenced by environmental factors including temperature and photoperiod.
Selenothrips
red-banded thrips (for S. rubrocinctus)
Selenothrips is a genus of thrips in the family Thripidae, established by Heinrich Hugo Karny in 1911. The genus contains at least two described species: S. rubrocinctus (Giard, 1901), commonly known as the red-banded thrips or cacao thrips, and S. glabratus Priesner, 1927. S. rubrocinctus is a polyphagous pest with broad tropical and subtropical distribution, known to attack cacao, cashew, mango, avocado, and other crops. Research on this species has focused on its feeding behavior in relation to plant water-stress and amino acid availability.
Thrips
thrips
Thrips is a genus of minute insects in the order Thysanoptera, characterized by fringed wings and asymmetrical mouthparts. Members are typically 1 mm or less in length with slender, cigar-shaped bodies. The genus was established by Linnaeus in 1758 and is among the most economically significant thrips genera, containing species that are serious agricultural pests. Species-level identification is challenging due to morphological variability and reliance on slide-mounted specimens.