Fighting Soldier Thrips vs Lily Thrips
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Fighting Soldier Thrips | Lily Thrips |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Oncothrips tepperi | Liothrips vaneeckei |
| Order | Thysanoptera | Thysanoptera |
| Family | Phlaeothripidae | Phlaeothripidae |
| Size | 1.5-3 mm | 1.8-2.5 mm |
| Habitat | Deserts & Drylands | Farmland |
| Diet | Gall Makers | Omnivores |
| Regions | Australia | Europe, North America, Asia |
| Conservation | Not Evaluated | Not Evaluated |
Fighting Soldier Thrips
A eusocial Australian thrips that forms colonies inside galls on Acacia trees with distinct reproductive and soldier castes. Soldiers patrol the gall and attack intruding insects.
Did You Know?
They are one of only about a dozen thrips species worldwide known to have evolved true eusociality with a soldier caste.
Lily Thrips
A dark, stout thrips that damages lily bulbs in storage and in the field. It feeds between bulb scales causing brown sunken spots.
Did You Know?
Lily thrips can remain hidden deep between bulb scales, making them extremely difficult to detect during inspection.