Lily Thrips vs Common Water Penny

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Lily Thrips Common Water Penny
Scientific Name Liothrips vaneeckei Psephenus herricki
Order Thysanoptera Coleoptera
Family Phlaeothripidae Psephenidae
Size 1.8-2.5 mm 4-6 mm (adults); 6-10 mm (larvae)
Habitat Farmland Rivers & Streams
Diet Omnivores Omnivores
Regions Europe, North America, Asia Eastern North America
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

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.

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Did You Know?

Lily thrips can remain hidden deep between bulb scales, making them extremely difficult to detect during inspection.

Common Water Penny

A small aquatic beetle whose larvae are flattened and round like a copper penny, clinging to rocks in fast streams. Adults are terrestrial and short-lived.

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Did You Know?

Larvae are so flat they can cling to rocks in torrential currents that would wash away most other insects.