Language: English
Thrips are minute, fringed-wing insects in the order Thysanoptera. They cause substantial economic losses across the globe on a wide variety or agriculture crops.
Throughout India, species in the genus Stenchaetothrips attack rice seedlings, making the terminal leaf white. Similarly, species in the genus Chirothrips feed in the flowers of cereals and grasses. The leaves and fruits of plants are often attacked; flowers of a number of trees are often infested with species like Thrips hawaiiensis, Frankliniella schultzei, or Megalurothrips species. Cajanus cajan is an important legume crop in North India that has been found to be heavily affected by Megalurothrips usitatus. Pomegranate fruits can be easily spotted with colonies of Rhipiphorothrips cruentatus, and the flowers by Thrips hawaiiensis. Jatropha species, a major biofuel plant, are attacked by R. cruentatus and Retithrips syriacus in South India and Sikkim.
This guide allows for identification of thrips species known to affect crops in India.