Thrips
Minute insects with fringed wings and unique asymmetrical mouthparts.
Thrips (singular: thrips; order Thysanoptera), also called thunderflies or thunderbugs, are tiny, slender insects—most are only about 1 mm (0.04 in) long or less—with fringed wings and a set of asymmetrical mouthparts found nowhere else. Entomologists have identified around 7,700 species, and they occur worldwide wherever their host plants grow. Their flight is weak; their feathery wings can't manage normal flight, so they rely on a "clap and fling" motion that generates lift through unsteady air currents and temporary vortices near the wings.
This group is functionally varied. Many species feed on fungi. A smaller number are major pests of important crops, and some of these spread over 20 plant viruses, especially the Tospoviruses. On the other hand, numerous flower-dwelling thrips help pollinate plants, and certain predatory species eat small insects or mites. Under favorable conditions—like in greenhouses—invasive thrips can multiply explosively, forming huge swarms because they lack natural predators and can reproduce asexually, which makes them highly destructive to crops. Identifying thrips to the species level using standard physical traits is often difficult.
**Naming and etymology** The earliest known mention of thrips comes from the 1600s, with a sketch made in 1691 by the Catholic priest Philippo Bonanni. In 1744, Swedish entomologist Baron Charles De Geer described two species in the genus *Physapus*, and Linnaeus added a third in 1758, naming the group *Thrips* in the 10th edition of *Systema Naturae*. In 1836, Irish entomologist Alexander Henry Haliday described 41 species across 11 genera and proposed the order name Thysanoptera. The first monograph on the group appeared in 1895, written by Heinrich Uzel, whom Fedor and others consider the father of thrips studies.
The name "thrips" comes directly from the Ancient Greek *θρίψ* (thrips), meaning "woodworm." Like "sheep" or "deer," the word is the same in both singular and plural—so you can have one thrips or many thrips. Other common names include thunderflies, thunderbugs, storm flies, thunderblights, storm bugs, corn fleas, corn flies, corn lice, freckle bugs, harvest bugs, and physopods. The older group name "physopoda" refers to the bladder-like tips on the insects' leg tarsi.
Quick Facts
- Taxon
- Thysanoptera
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The first recorded mention of thrips dates from the 17th century, with a sketch by Philippo Bonanni in 1691. Swedish entomologist Baron Charles De Geer described two species in the genus Physapus in 1744, and Linnaeus added a third species in 1758, naming the group Thrips in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae. In 1836, Irish entomologist Alexander Henry Haliday described 41 species in 11 genera and proposed the order name Thysanoptera. The first monograph was published in 1895 by Heinrich Uzel, regarded as the father of Thysanoptera studies. The generic and English name thrips comes from the Ancient Greek θρίψ, meaning 'woodworm,' and like 'sheep' or 'deer,' the word is both singular and plural.
Reader's Guide
Thrips are significant both as agricultural pests and as pollinators. A small proportion of species cause serious damage to commercially important crops, and some serve as vectors for over 20 plant viruses, especially Tospoviruses. In greenhouses, invasive species can reproduce asexually and, lacking natural predators, form large swarms destructive to crops. However, many flower-dwelling species bring benefits as pollinators, and some predatory thrips feed on small insects or mites. Their identification to species by standard morphological characteristics is often challenging due to variability and the quality of slide preparations, leading to frequent misidentification. Molecular sequence-based approaches are increasingly used. The earliest fossils date to the Permian, though true thrips became abundant by the Early Cretaceous. The extant family Merothripidae most resembles ancestral Thysanoptera. Thrips are generally considered the sister group to Hemiptera (bugs). Their unique clap-and-fling flight mechanism and asymmetrical mouthparts—where the right mandible is reduced or absent—distinguish them from other insects.
Did You Know?
- The word 'thrips' is both singular and plural, like 'sheep' or 'deer.'
- Thrips use a 'clap and fling' mechanism to fly, creating lift with transient vortices near their fringed wings.
- The right mandible of thrips is reduced and vestigial, and in some species completely absent.
- Some thrips are ectoparasites on plant-hoppers in Brazil, and one Australian species is a parasite within the silk nests of another thrips species.
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