In the greenhouse, banded greenhouse thrips attack many crops including cucumbers, begonias, cacti, date palm, bananas, callas, cestrum, amaryllis, aralia, chrysanthemum, dracaena, rubber tree, gardenia, croton, hydrangea, moon flower, schefflera, screw pine, tomato, and Mexican tea. The banded green house thrips showed definite preference for some species among those accepted as host plants. Banded greenhouse thrips pierce plant tissues with their mouthparts and suck the juices. As a result, irregular white spots form on the leaf giving it an overall silver appearance. Eventually, these areas dry out and turn light brown.
Some defoliation results.
The banded greenhouse thrips, sometimes referred to as the sugar beet thrips, has gained notoriety as a major floricultural pest. In North Carolina, this thrips was first reported as a greenhouse pest in 1943 on white callas. In the greenhouse, thrips may breed continuously and have several generations per year. Eggs are deposited on the underside of leaves or along the stem. Approximately 2 weeks later, larvae emerge and begin feeding.