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Thrips: Thysanoptera

Diet

The feeding habits of most thrips are unknown. Most species eat funguses. Others feed on leaves or flowers and pollen. Some species prey on small insects and spiders.

BEES DO IT AND THRIPS DO TOO!

The importance of thrips as pollinators is often overlooked by botanists, scientists that study plants. They are often found in large numbers on many different kinds of flowers. They continually fly from flower to flower, their bodies carrying ten to fifty grains of pollen. Thrips pollinate a wide range of flowers, including heather plants in North America and Eurasia, as well as numerous rainforest trees in Malaysia and eastern Australia.

Additional topics

Animal Life ResourceInsects and SpidersThrips: Thysanoptera - Physical Characteristics, Habitat, Diet, Behavior And Reproduction, Thrips And People, Western Flower Thrips (frankliniella Occidentalis): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, CONSERVATION STATUS