Cuban Laurel Thrips vs Alder Leaf Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cuban Laurel Thrips Alder Leaf Beetle
Scientific Name Gynaikothrips ficorum Agelastica alni
Order Thysanoptera Coleoptera
Family Phlaeothripidae Chrysomelidae
Size 2.5-3.0 mm 6-7 mm
Habitat Woodlands Ponds & Lakes
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Asia, North America, South America, Oceania Europe, Western Asia
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Cuban Laurel Thrips

A large dark thrips that causes leaf rolling on Ficus species. Colonies live inside the rolled leaves they create.

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Did You Know?

Entire colonies of hundreds of individuals live communally inside a single rolled fig leaf.

Alder Leaf Beetle

A metallic dark violet-blue beetle that feeds on alder trees. Heavy infestations can completely defoliate alder trees along waterways.

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Did You Know?

After being absent from Britain for decades, it dramatically recolonised southern England in the early 2000s.