Thrips tabaci
Habitat and Geography: Where does it live?
Thrips tabaci are found in flower blossoms, on the
underside of leaves, in leaf whorls and axils, under bark, in mosses, in
leaf litter and soil, on fungi, and on fruits and flower bulbs. They
feed on onions outdoors (Utah State University
Extension 2008).
Onion thrips fit into their niche because they use their habitat as a source of food. They use their habitat to their advantage, while harming plants and crops in the feeding process. They eat plants and parts of plants on an onion plant, which helps this organism survive and make a living.
Onion thrips are distributed worldwide. They first originated in the eastern Mediterranean, and are now common in the wet, hot tropics. It is an important pest of onions, other onion relatives, and several crops in most parts of the world. They are able to colonize crops from sea level up to 2,000 meters above sea level. They are native to the Upper Midwestern States of North America and are most commonly found in Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. They are found where onions grow, or where other major crops are grown. Farming and growing crops is popular in the Midwestern United States, so it is not surprising that this organism is common in these areas (Center for Integrated Pest Management 2012).
Other organisms that live in its habitat are bees, which are common on and
around flowers. Some moth species are pests to crops. Various
other insects are known to live on crops, and some are even beneficial. Bacteria and fungi also share this habitat. Not
every species that live on crops are harmful to them .
Thrips tabaci populations increase rapidly under hot conditions. There is a vast increase in the summer months. These increasing populations can lead to economic crop loss in areas that depend on crop production to live and survive (Utah State University Extension 2008).
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