Thrips tabaci
Adaptation
Immature Onion thrips do not have wings, so they cannot fly. This is a
major difference between immature and mature thrips.
They are mobile and will crawl, jump, walk, and fly to any target.
Their light bodies and wing structure help them ride wind currents long
distances, allowing them to find new food and host locations. Their
light bodies are helpful to them because the adults are weak fliers, and
being able to carried by the wind is a beneficial attribute (Utah
State University Extension 2008).
Their antennae allow them to sense the environment. The antennae have
stiletto-like forked sense cones on antennal segments III and IV. This
helps them to sense what is going on around them, in terms of their
environment (Utah State University Extension 2008).
They have asymmetrical mouth parts, with one enlarged tooth. This
allows them to be able to pierce the plant and suck its contents up (Utah
State University Extension 2008).
Find out where and how Thrips tabaci gets its food by visiting the Nutrition page!