Description
Thrips are sap-sucking insects that mainly feed on young leaves and flowers. There are over 100 species of thrips in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Adult thrips are small, thin insects that grow 1 to 3 millimetres long. They range in colour from pale yellow to dark brown. They have delicate fringed wings and can fly large distances. Larvae are wingless and smaller in size than the adults.
Thrips are likely to migrate from host weeds to nursery plants when the weather becomes hot and dry.
Common native plant hosts
| Scientific names | Māori/common names |
|---|---|
| Asplenium spp., Blechnum spp., Cyathea spp., Dicksonia spp. |
Ferns, ponga, hen and chicken fern, whekī, whekī ponga, pikopiko, kiokio |
| Metrosideros excelsa | Pōhutukawa |
| Metrosideros robusta | Rātā |
| Myoporum laetum | Ngaio |
Scientific names
Asplenium spp., Blechnum spp.,
Cyathea spp., Dicksonia spp.
Cyathea spp., Dicksonia spp.
Māori/common names
Ferns, ponga, hen and chicken fern, whekī, whekī ponga, pikopiko, kiokio
Scientific names
Metrosideros excelsa
Māori/common names
Pōhutukawa
Scientific names
Metrosideros robusta
Māori/common names
Rātā
Scientific names
Myoporum laetum
Māori/common names
Ngaio
Symptoms and damage
- distortion of leaves and fruit
- leaf silvering on top side of leaf and brown sticky substance on underside
- spotting on flowers
- leaf speckling
- some species of thrips spread viral and fungal diseases.
Prevention and control tips
- keep plants healthy, well fed and watered to avoid plant stress
- weed management
- commercially available predatory mites and nematodes
- plant soap
- spray oil
- organic insecticides
- chemical insecticides.
Natural predators
- lacewings
- ladybirds
- parasitoid wasps
- predatory bugs.
Image details
Photo taken by Grey Smith -- Some rights reserved (CC-BY)