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Thrips

Stylized illustration of thrips

By The Pest Guide Team · Updated
Edited by Fellipe Antequera · Editorial policy

You have probably noticed these pinhead-sized bugs on your tomatoes or houseplants without knowing what they were, squinting at pale, silvery patches on the leaves while wondering where the damage came from. Thrips are united by their minute, slender bodies, rasping mouthparts, and narrow fringed wings, gathering in tight spaces like flower buds and leaf tips to drain plant sap. They spend their time hiding deep inside growing shoots and leaving behind tiny, tar-like dark spots alongside those signature silvery blotches, feeding across a massive variety of garden vegetables and ornamentals.

People often mix them up with spider mites or aphids, but telling thrips apart from the usual suspects comes down to a few obvious clues. Unlike spider mites, thrips never spin fine silk webbing across the foliage, and unlike aphids, they do not produce sticky honeydew that draws black mold. Whiteflies fly up in powdery white clouds when you disturb the plant, while flea beetles chew clean round holes through leaves instead of leaving behind rasped, bleached scars.

Explore thrips

Illustration of Western flower thripsWestern flower thripsFrankliniella occidentalisIllustration of Onion thripsOnion thripsThrips tabaciIllustration of Thrips parvispinusThrips parvispinusThrips parvispinus

Questions about thrips

ThripsWhat are thrips on plants?Thrips are tiny, slender insects that drink plant sap, leaving leaves with a silvery sheen and dotted with tiny black specks.ThripsHow do you get rid of thrips on plants?Start by washing plants with water and insecticidal soap. Thrips hide eggs inside leaves, so follow-up treatments over three to four weeks are needed.ThripsWhat are Thrips parvispinus?Thrips parvispinus, or pepper thrips, is a thrips species about 1 mm long. Confirming it at home is hard, since it takes a microscope.ThripsHow do you identify thrips on a Monstera?Look for slender insects about 1/25 inch long, silvery leaf patches and tiny black specks, especially on leaf undersides and new growth.ThripsDo thrips live in soil?Yes. Thrips feed on the plant, but the young drop into the top inch or two of soil to pass through resting stages before becoming adults.ThripsWhy are thrips in the house?Thrips get inside on new houseplants and their soil, or drift through window screens on warm winds. Indoor plants keep them going year-round.ThripsDo thrips bite people?No. Thrips feed only on plants. On warm days one may land on your skin and give a brief pinprick probe, but they do not feed on blood.ThripsWhat do adult thrips look like?Adult thrips are tiny, slender insects about 1/25 inch long with fringed wings. Learn how to spot them, tell them from lookalikes, and decide what to do next.ThripsWhat do thrips damage and black specks on leaves suggest?Learn what thrips damage and black specks on leaves mean, how to identify the pest, and what practical steps to take next.ThripsHow can you monitor thrips without assuming every black insect is a thrips?Learn how to monitor thrips accurately by looking past color and using proper identification techniques to avoid confusing them with other garden insects.ThripsWhat does Thrips parvispinus damage look like?Learn to identify and handle Thrips parvispinus damage on plants, with clear steps for inspection, cultural control, and when to call professionals.ThripsThrips parvispinus vs western flower thrips: what is different?Understand the differences between Thrips parvispinus and western flower thrips, how to identify them, and what management strategies actually work.

Research sources

This page was researched with publications from these institutions, then written and reviewed by The Pest Guide Team: