Grain Thrips vs Chilli Thrips

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Grain Thrips Chilli Thrips
Scientific Name Limothrips cerealium Scirtothrips dorsalis
Order Thysanoptera Thysanoptera
Family Thripidae Thripidae
Size 1.2-1.8 mm 0.8-1.2 mm
Habitat Farmland Gardens
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Europe, Asia, North America Asia, North America, Central America, Oceania
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Grain Thrips

A widespread pest of cereal crops including wheat, barley, and oats. Adults are dark brown and migrate in swarms during warm summer days.

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Did You Know?

On hot summer days, grain thrips swarm in enormous numbers and are colloquially known as "thunder bugs" because they seem to appear before storms.

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.