Grain Thrips vs South American Wattle Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Grain Thrips South American Wattle Sawfly
Scientific Name Limothrips cerealium Arge pullata
Order Thysanoptera Hymenoptera
Family Thripidae Argidae
Size 1.2-1.8 mm 7-10 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Europe, Asia, North America Southern Africa
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.

South American Wattle Sawfly

A shiny black argid sawfly that feeds on wattle (Acacia) trees. Larvae are green with dark dorsal markings and can cause significant defoliation.

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Did You Know?

This species is one of the relatively few argid sawflies found in Africa, where the family is less diverse than in other continents.