Thorn Bug vs Arctic Thrips
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Thorn Bug | Arctic Thrips |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Umbonia crassicornis | Aptinothrips rufus |
| Order | Hemiptera | Thysanoptera |
| Family | Membracidae | Thripidae |
| Size | 10-12 mm | 0.5-1.5 mm |
| Habitat | Underground | Tundra & Arctic |
| Diet | Sap Feeders | Sap Feeders |
| Regions | Central America, South America, North America | Arctic and subarctic worldwide, Scandinavia, Iceland, Greenland, northern Canada |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Thorn Bug
Extraordinary treehopper with a thorn-shaped pronotum that makes it look exactly like a plant thorn when sitting on a branch. Mothers guard eggs and nymphs aggressively.
Did You Know?
Treehoppers have evolved the most bizarre body shapes of any insect — their enlarged pronotum can mimic thorns, helicopter blades, antlers, and even ant-like forms.
Arctic Thrips
A tiny, wingless thrips that feeds on grasses in Arctic and subarctic habitats. Its brown body is barely visible without magnification. Populations reproduce parthenogenetically in the Arctic where males are absent.
Did You Know?
This thrips can reproduce without males through parthenogenesis, a useful adaptation in Arctic habitats where finding a mate would be difficult.