Calico Pennant vs Onion Thrips

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Calico Pennant Onion Thrips
Scientific Name Celithemis elisa Thrips tabaci
Order Odonata Thysanoptera
Family Libellulidae Thripidae
Size 28-37mm 1-1.3 mm
Habitat Ponds & Lakes Farmland
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions North America Europe, Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Oceania
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Calico Pennant

A small dragonfly with triangular red or yellow wing spots creating a calico pattern. Males have red body and wing markings while females have yellow. It perches delicately on vegetation tips.

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Did You Know?

Its patterned wings inspired its 'calico' name, resembling the printed cotton fabric of the same name.

Onion Thrips

A cosmopolitan pest of onions, garlic, and many other crops. It can reproduce both sexually and parthenogenetically and transmits iris yellow spot virus.

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Did You Know?

Onion thrips can reproduce without mating through parthenogenesis, allowing a single female to establish an entire infestation.