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INSECT FACTS |
Identification
The Western Flower Thrip is an introduced pest species that has established and spread throughout Australia. Adults are cigar-shaped and variable in colour from yellowish orange to grey or almost black. They have small narrow wings carried over the back. The nymphs are wingless and pale yellow or orange yellow.
Size
Adults are 2 mm long
Food
The thrip attacks over 250 species of plants including many vegetable and flower crops. Plants attacked include capsicums, lettuce, chrysanthemums, cotton, beans, sunflower, canola and peanuts. Both adults and nymphs feed in the growing points of the plant and inside the flowers.
Breeding
Adults can produce 150 to 300 eggs in their life time. The life cycle from egg to adult can vary from 13 to 40 days depending on temperature.
Classification
| Class: | Insecta | | Order: | Thysanoptera | | Family: | Thripidae | | Genus: | Frankliniella | | Species: | occidentalis | | Common Name: | Western Flower Thrip |
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