Description:
There are many different species in this family, feeding in different plant species, making similar symptoms, and for the determination of species, required detailed examination. The adult in general is 1,25-1,5mm long, with black thorax and and yellow to dark brown abdomen; wings are strap-like. Nymphs are translucent to golden yellow, eyes reddish
Symptoms:
Leaves: Distortion, silvering and speckling. Yellowing of young leaf tissue, reduction of photosynthetic activity
Fruits: Circular scars occur on the skins of developing fruits, especially between touching fruits. sprinkled with black spots of excreta, disfiguration of young fruit
Flowers: Distortion, silvering and speckling
Hosts: greenhouse vegetables (such as tomato, cucumber, pepper), citrus etc
Taxonomy:
| Kingdom | Animalia |
|---|---|
| Class | Insecta |
| Order | Thysanoptera |
| Family | Thripidae |
| Genus | Heliothrips |
| Species | haemorrhoidalis |
References:
Alford D. V. (2014). Pests of Fruit Crops. A Colour Handbook, CRC Press, 2nd Edition