Insect Order Thysanoptera - the thrips
They are described as holometabolous (having
a complete metamorphosis even though the nymphs look like small wingless
adults) insects with 2 or 3 inactive pupa-like instars. Thrips are the
only members of the 'Exopterygote' (insects whose wings develop outside
there body and thus have externally visible wing buds in the late nymphal
and pupal stages, in comparison with the 'Endopterygote' insects whose
wings develop inside their bodies and are thus not visible until after
metamorphosis) to have developed a true pupal stage. They have asymetrical
mouthparts, having only one (the left) mandible, short 6- to 10-segmented
antennae and no cerci. Their wings when present are nearly equal, very
thin with little venation and a lot of hairs making a fringe around the
edge, these hairs greatly increase the effective size of the wings. Fully
winged, brachypterous (with reduced wings) and apterous (wingless) forms
may occurr in the same species, the wingless forms tend to be more common
towards Autumn. They have piercing sucking mouthparts.