Thysanoptera
Guides
Aeolothrips
Banded Thrips
Aeolothrips is a genus of predatory thrips comprising over 80 described species. Members are characterized by distinctive banded forewings with alternating dark and light transverse stripes. Both adults and larvae are predatory, feeding on small invertebrates including other thrips, mites, aphids, and insect eggs. Some species are recognized as important native predators in agricultural ecosystems and have been evaluated for biological control programs against pest thrips such as Thrips tabaci.
Aeolothrips collaris
Aeolothrips collaris is a predatory thrips species in the family Aeolothripidae. It occurs across multiple continents including Africa, Europe, Northern Asia (excluding China), and North America. Like other members of its genus, it is recognized by distinctive wing patterning. The species was described by Priesner in 1919.
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.
Franklinothrips
Franklinothrips is a pantropical genus of predatory thrips in the family Aeolothripidae, comprising 14 recognized species. The genus is distinguished by striking ant-mimicry, particularly in females, which exhibit fast-running behavior and body forms resembling ants or bethylid wasps. Most species are bisexual with localized distributions, though F. vespiformis is notably unisexual and widespread. Several species have been developed as biological control agents against pest thrips in greenhouses and agricultural systems.
Franklinothrips vespiformis
Vespiform Thrips, Vespiform Thrip
Franklinothrips vespiformis is a predatory thrips species in the family Aeolothripidae, notable for its ant-mimicking adult morphology and distinctive red, humped-back larvae. It is widely distributed across tropical and subtropical regions worldwide and has been extensively studied as a biological control agent for various agricultural and greenhouse pests. The species exhibits myrmecomorphy—mimicking ants in appearance and fast, erratic movement behavior—which likely serves as a defense against predation. It is primarily parthenogenetic, with males being rare.
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.
Hercinothrips
Hercinothrips is a genus of thrips in the family Thripidae, subfamily Panchaetothripinae, containing several economically significant pest species. The most widely documented species, H. femoralis (banded greenhouse thrips), is a pantropical invader that has established in greenhouses worldwide and feeds on a broad range of vegetables, fruits, and ornamental plants. Members of this genus are characterized by their small size, fringed wings, and piercing-sucking mouthparts that cause characteristic silvery streaking and discoloration on host foliage.
Heterothrips
Heterothrips is a genus of thrips in the family Heterothripidae, containing more than 60 described species. The genus has not been adequately defined and species-level taxonomy relies heavily on morphological characters. Many species are associated with flowers of specific host plants, including economically important fruit trees and ornamental species. The genus is distributed primarily in the Neotropics, with documented diversity in Central America, Brazil, Argentina, and Chile.
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.
Merothrips floridensis
Merothrips floridensis is a species of thrips in the family Merothripidae, described by Watson in 1927. The species has a broad geographic distribution spanning the Caribbean Sea, Central America, North America, South America, and Europe. In Brazil, it has been documented living in sympatry with M. meridionalis, M. mirus, and M. tympanis. As a member of Merothripidae, it is likely fungivorous, though specific dietary confirmation for this species is not documented.
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.
Neurothrips magnafemoralis
Eastern Long-tailed Fungus Thrips
Neurothrips magnafemoralis is a species of tube-tailed thrip in the family Phlaeothripidae. It has been recorded from Central America, North America (including Florida), and Oceania. The species was described by Hinds in 1902. Common name "Eastern Long-tailed Fungus Thrips" suggests association with fungi, though specific ecological relationships remain poorly documented.
Phytoseiidae
predatory mites
Phytoseiidae is a large family of predatory mites in the order Mesostigmata, comprising over 2,700 described species across 90 genera and three subfamilies (Amblyseiinae, Phytoseiinae, and Typhlodrominae). These mites are primarily recognized for their role as biological control agents against agricultural pests, particularly spider mites (Tetranychidae), thrips, and other small arthropods. Their effectiveness in integrated pest management programs has driven substantial research interest, with species such as Phytoseiulus persimilis, Neoseiulus californicus, and Amblyseius swirskii among the most widely studied and commercially deployed predatory mites.
biological-controlpredatory-mitesintegrated-pest-managementagricultural-acarologyspider-mite-predatorspollen-feedingintraguild-predationWolbachiaaugmentative-biocontrolconservation-biological-controldomatiaglandular-trichomespesticide-compatibilitymass-rearingTetranychidaeThysanopteraMesostigmatacrop-protectionsustainable-agriculturemite-ecologyScolothrips
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.
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.