Thrips (“tripes” or “trips” in Portuguese) are minute insects that belong to the order Thysanoptera. In some Brazilian regions they are also known as “amintinhas”, “azucrinóis”, “barbudinhos” or “lacerdinhas” (Buzzi & Miyazaki 1999).

 

More than 6100 thrips species are currently recognized. However, considering the specimens deposited in scientific collections around the world, which have not been studied yet, this number may reach 10000 species (Mound 2002; ThripsWiki). Brazil has a very representative thysanopteran fauna, with about 600 species recorded to the country, which represents almost 10% of the species in the order.

 

Thrips are the only insects that possess asymmetrical piercing and sucking mouthparts, in which only the left mandible is developed; and an eversible bladder-like structure in the tip of tarsus (the arolium), which facilitates adherence to the substrate.

 

Still, the most remarkable characteristic of these insects is the presence of feather-like wings with long fringes, which name the group (from Greek thysanos = fringe and pteron = wing). However, adults of many thrips species lack wings.

 

These insects have a reduced body size, the length ranging from 0.5 mm to 15 mm. Adult colouration is varied, with whitish, yellowish or dark brown species being commonly found. Thrips larvae have similar appearance to adults, although body colouration is usually distinct.

 

Thysanoptera species are widely known as phytophagous sap-sucking insects, being collected mainly in flowers of a variety of plants. However, almost 50% of all thrips species feed only on fungus, while some predate small insects and mites. Certain species may, eventually, feed on lepidopteran exudates, suck blood, or be ectoparasites on other insects (Lewis 1973; Cavalleri et al. 2010).

 

Click here and use the Lucid interactive system to identify the Thysanoptera families and species recorded from Brazil!

Published in: 11/10/2016
Posted by: Adriano

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