A general thrips life cycle is as follows. Female thrips deposit eggs in slits made in the leaf tissue by their sharp ovipositors . Immature thrips resemble adults, but the immatures lack wings and are lightly colored. The resting stages can be found either on the host or in the soil below the host. Under favorable conditions, the developmental period from egg to adult ranges from 11 days to three weeks depending on the species , hence, a population may increase quite rapidly.
Parthenogenesis occurs in many species.
When male thrips are present, they are usually smaller than the females. Host Plants Thrips attack an extremely wide variety of woody plants including azalea, ardisia, dogwood, gardenia, hibiscus, magnolia, maple, palm and viburnum. Seasonal Abundance Thrips occur throughout the growing season. Damage Thrips feed on the foliage and flowers, as well as young tissues in shoot apexes where the leaves are expanding. They puncture the plant cells with their rasping-sucking mouthparts and withdraw cell sap.