The life cycle of thrips

Thrips are a major problem in greenhouse horticulture. They can easily overwinter and attack plants early in the season. The eggs of thrips are kidney-shaped and are laid in leaves, flower petals and in the soft parts of stalks. Before a female deposits an egg, she first makes an opening in the plant tissue. After hatching the larva immediately begins to feed on plant tissue. The first instar larva moults into a second instar larva. This second stage larva is bigger and has more colour. At the end of the second instar, the larva usually falls to the ground to pupate. Pupation occurs in natural crevices in the ground or lower leaf surfaces. The prepupal and pupal instars are recognizable by their developing wing buds. The adult thrips has a fully developed pair of fringed wings. Thrips cause damage to the plant by piercing the cells of the surface tissues and sucking out their contents, causing the surrounding tissue to die. The resulting silver-grey patches on leaves and the black dots of their excreta indicate their presence in the crop. Thrips are also responsible for the transmission of viruses. Luckily they can be controlled by a range of natural enemies. More information about thrips: ----- Contents of this video ----- 00:00 Intro 00:08 What are thrips 00:20 Thrips eggs 00:40 Thrips larvae 01:14 Thrips pupae 01:30 Thrips adults 01:39 Thrips damage 02:20 Outro