Phlaeothripidae
TUBE-TAILED THRIPS (Phlaeothripidae)

Description
Thrips are tiny, about 1/16 to 1/8 inch, and torpedo shaped. They are mostly dark brown or black, often with light-colored or mottled wings. The wings are narrow and fringed with long hairs. The tip of the abdomen is drawn out into a long tube. Instead of claws there are blobs on the tips of the feet. The larvae which resemble small adults are often red, orange or yellow and are usually seen feeding together in a mass. Adults are often seen with the immatures.

Occurrence
The frequency of occurrence of Tube-tailed Thrips in Fontenelle Forest and Neale Woods is not known. However, thrips are generally very common in our environment but are not often seen because of their very small size. The adult thrips shown here was photographed at Fontenelle Forest on May 11, 2013.

Comments
This is the largest Thrips family with 350 species in 77 genera in North America. More than half are fungus feeders. Others are predatory on mites and tiny insects while others are plant feeders. They have asymmetrical mouthparts. A large left mandible punctures a plant and the other mouthparts suck out the contents.

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