   thrips (order thysanoptera) are tiny, slender insects with fringed wings (thus the scientific name, from the greek thysanos (fringe) + pteron (wing)).tipping, c. (2008). thrips (thysanoptera). pages 3769â3771 in encyclopedia of entomology, john l. capinera, ed. springer, new york other common names for thrips include thunderflies, thunderbugs, storm flies, thunderblights, storm bugs, corn flies and corn lice. thrips species feed on a large variety of plants and animals by puncturing them and sucking up the contents. a large number of thrips species are considered pests, because they feed on plants with commercial value. some species of thrips feed on other insects or mites and are considered beneficial, while some feed on fungal spores or pollen. so far around 5,000 species have been described. thrips are generally tiny (1&nbsp;mm long or less) and are not good flyers, although they can be carried long distances by the wind. in the right conditions, many species can exponentially increase in population size and form large swarms, making them an irritation to humans. like the words sheep, deer and moose, the word thrips is used for both the singular and plural forms, so there may be many thrips or a single thrips. the word thrips is from the greek, meaning "woodworm". == morphology and classification == thumb|thysanoptera diagram|250px === characteristics === they are small hemimetabolic insects with a distinctive cigar-shaped bauplan. they are elongate
Agricultural_pest_insects Agriculturally_beneficial_insects Pollinators Thrips