Fighting Soldier Thrips vs Tobacco Thrips
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Fighting Soldier Thrips | Tobacco Thrips |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Oncothrips tepperi | Frankliniella fusca |
| Order | Thysanoptera | Thysanoptera |
| Family | Phlaeothripidae | Thripidae |
| Size | 1.5-3 mm | 1-1.5 mm |
| Habitat | Deserts & Drylands | Farmland |
| Diet | Gall Makers | Pollen Feeders |
| Regions | Australia | North America |
| Conservation | Not Evaluated | Least Concern |
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.
Tobacco Thrips
A major pest of tobacco, peanut, and cotton seedlings in the southeastern United States. It transmits tomato spotted wilt virus to multiple crop species.
Did You Know?
Tobacco thrips can overwinter in soil and leaf litter, emerging in spring to attack new seedlings before natural predators become active.