Chilli Thrips vs Poinsettia Thrips

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Chilli Thrips Poinsettia Thrips
Scientific Name Scirtothrips dorsalis Echinothrips americanus
Order Thysanoptera Thysanoptera
Family Thripidae Thripidae
Size 0.8-1.2 mm 1.3-1.7 mm
Habitat Gardens Gardens
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Asia, North America, Central America, Oceania North America, Europe
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

Chilli Thrips

A tiny pale yellow thrips that is an invasive pest of peppers, strawberries, and ornamental plants. It causes severe scarring and distortion of new growth.

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Did You Know?

Chilli thrips are so tiny that they can pass through standard window screens, making them very difficult to exclude from greenhouses.

Poinsettia Thrips

A dark brown thrips originally from eastern North America now invasive in European greenhouses. It feeds on a wide range of ornamental plants.

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Did You Know?

Unlike most thrips, this species completes its entire life cycle on the leaf surface and never enters the soil.