Talk:Thrips/Archive 1

development

All thrips present two larval/nymphal stages, followed by a propupa. Thrips of suborder Terebrantia follow this with a pupal stage, but thrips of suborder Tubulifera have a fifth pupal instar. I feel that this distinction is worth mentioning, as it is a diagnostic synapomorphy for the suborder. Aderksen (talk) 16:11, 24 March 2008 (UTC)

I've gone ahead and made the distinction between the two suborders in the appropriate locations. I've opened up a more detailed "life cycle" section, but I was wondering if perhaps it would be better to merge all of this information back into a single paragraph under "life cycle" instead of trying to describe each developmental stage in detail? Does anyone want to offer an opinion based on their work on other insect order pages? Aderksen (talk) 15:31, 17 March 2009 (UTC)

discussion of thrips evolution

My read of the Grimaldi et al 2004 paper suggests that while Permothrips is probably one of the first thrips, it is not definitively thrips-like and still possesses sufficiently homopteran characteristics to be classed among extinct members of Psocoptera. "True" thrips do not appear in the fossil record with any diversity until the late Triassic and certainly the mid-Jurassic. Would it be worth adding a small section suggesting that the basal feeding behavior and association for the order is presumed to be mycophagic, and that their explosion in diversity during the Cretaceous is probably like many insects, a result of the increasing diversity among flowering angiosperms? Aderksen (talk) 15:41, 24 March 2008 (UTC)

Oops. I believe that my earlier comment should state, "sufficiently psocopteran traits". Aderksen (talk) 15:31, 18 June 2008 (UTC)

citation for LCD problems?

I'd really like to see a reference on thrips becoming trapped in LCD monitors. I would suggest that thrips are no more and no less likely to get trapped in LCD screens and picture frame than any other order of small insects. Aderksen (talk) 15:41, 24 March 2008 (UTC)

Well, I hear what you're saying... but today I have about 10 thrips inside my screen pretending to be punctuation on the move... I don't see any other types of bug - so what does that mean? Are they small enough to get inside AND they are attracted to light and/or my word documents and no other bugs are? Or perhaps they're the only bugs inside that are big enough to see? Its odd. What would be a comparable bug? How long do they live for anyway? MrsDiz (talk) 08:01, 24 July 2008 (UTC)

there has been a number of cases of these bugs (literally) inside the computers, notwithstanding brands. here's a forum link from Dell.com [1]. not a few people has encountered them. there are also documentation inside the dell internal knowledge base regarding them, and that they are not covered under limited warranties. 222.127.132.36 (talk) 00:49, 8 July 2008 (UTC) Ace

I John Mccain approuve this message.

More seriously political topic put really far outside. This article should contain a little reference to those cases of bug(s) cornererd in the LCD or living in and I mean reproduction in (not on) screen can be witnessed in several case! I am not familiar with the edition of wikipedia article (even in my native language french) so I fairly let a passing by try it. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 212.23.162.39 (talk) 10:24, 7 August 2008 (UTC)

The section on LCDs has been removed and added several times. It appears to be one of the reasons that folks not into gardening or agriculture encounter these creatures, and then come here seeking more information. While there may be no formal reference to cite for this behavior (and I maintain that there are many small organisms which may become trapped between the panes of an LCD, a picture frame, or a watch face) it obviously occurs. While I appreciate being bold, I suggest looking at the full deletion history of this particular topic before removing it. Aderksen (talk) 20:31, 31 August 2008 (UTC)

You dont need to be into gardening or agriculture for this to be a relevant problem to you. I currently have 2 thrips in each of my monitors. It is typically mainly thrips that are attracted to the light and the warmth of monitors. I have never seen any other creature inside. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence on the internet with many people having this problem.  RND  T  C  14:14, 25 July 2010 (UTC)

I agree, there's no doubt at all that thunderbugs are a regular problem for LCD screens which pop up every year when the thunderbugs come out, and never any other time (they happen to be out now and there's a couple in my screen). I don't think I've ever seen another insect as small as a thunderbug, with the possible exception of spider mites. It's possible that only people in rural areas generally experience this. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 86.150.1.11 (talk) 19:18, 26 July 2010 (UTC)

I'd just like to say, yes, I am another user that came here to find out more about the matter and was surprised how there's nothing on the topic. I have 2 of them in my own screen. I think it's one of those things you don't really hear about and then you look into it to find out that loads of people experience this issue.--+-+-+-++ —Preceding unsigned comment added by 87.194.93.168 (talk) 12:55, 5 May 2011 (UTC)

Likewise. But I don't think this should be a section priority with focus on computer screens: it should be a behavioural note. In fact, I was surprised that this article didn't have a Behaviour section, because that's what it is and it's what makes them so interesting. They are attracted to all extremely small spaces: we have found them inbetween the plies of our kitchen roll, for God's sake. They get into book spines, clocks, framed pictures and inside double glazing. The 'why' of this behaviour is what most interests me (and everyone not studying them academically). The same Behaviour section might strive to explain why they are attracted to light and white surfaces, particularly on hot days and in the sunshine (presumably it's about keeping cool?). There must be academic citations explaining these behaviours that we could use to build a section on it. boiled_elephant (talk) 16:52, 17 July 2011 (UTC)

...oh, never mind about the bright surfaces thing, it's explained in the present article. boiled_elephant (talk) 16:56, 17 July 2011 (UTC)

As is the bit about how they prefer to feed in the densely packed tissue of flower buds. There used to be a few lines dedicated to this thigmotaxic behavior, but other editors removed them. I'd be happy to put them back. I would also be glad to add a few lines about thrips in monitors (it does seem to be the way that many folks first encounter these critters), but I maintain that they are no more or less likely than many other minute insects to get stuck in such a location. Aderksen (talk) 19:53, 17 July 2011 (UTC)

Okay. Given that the LCD-trapping event is when many people first encounter the insects and it sends them to this page, I will be glad to include it sans reference. I am still going to put a citation tag on it until someone can find a good reference for the problem. Aderksen (talk) 20:36, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

Thrips, singular or plural?

Uh . . . I'd hate to have to move this . . . but isn't the singular of the word "thrips" thrips? Wiwaxia 03:06, 26 Jun 2004 (UTC)

No. Thrips is a plural. Like 'ants'. —Morven 08:29, Jun 26, 2004 (UTC)

Thrips is definitely used in both the singular & plural tenses, just like 'sheep'. I'm currently doing a PhD on thrips & have read many books stating this to be the case. HarveySloan 10:57, 3 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Hmm, I've seen plenty of references where 'thrip' was used for singular. It could be, of course, that people are assuming that the singular must not have the 's'. Any good online references that say it should always be included? I think it's best to have a cite for this, because it'll come up again. —Morven 16:41, Feb 3, 2005 (UTC)

OK, a Google for 'thrips singular plural' returns 208 hits, some of which seem quite authoritative. Page moved. —Morven 16:45, Feb 3, 2005 (UTC)

Swan?

"Swan" is used as singular and plural? The wiki page for "swan" uses both swan and swans..I've never heard of using the singular form for both.Rkaufman13 (talk) 18:56, 28 August 2012 (UTC)

Fair enough. I have replaced "swan" u "deer", which should be less controversial. Aderksen (talk) 12:03, 30 August 2012 (UTC)

Terebrantia

The suborder 'Terebrantia' linked to parasitic wasps. I'm no taxonomic authority, but this has to be wrong. i deleted the redirect Terebrantia -> Parasitic wasps. could it be that there are two orders of the same name? Sarefo 21:36, 28 June 2006 (UTC)

Linneaus originally referred to all of the parasitic Hymenoptera with their piercing ovipositors as "terebrantia"; the analogous part on this suborder is probably where the name for the originated.

Not that anyone cares, but the ovipositor is homologous for the two groups as a common ancestral trait. That said, yes: a taxonomic group that included just the thrips and the parasitic Hymenoptera would have been a paraphyletic classification that told us nothing of the phylogenetic relationships, and the similar names for the suborders are probably derived from a nomitive doubling of a prominent descriptive feature common to both groups. Aderksen (talk) 15:31, 18 June 2008 (UTC)

Scientific name for photographed thrips?

Isn't it "Thrips tabaci"? Because it doesn't appear in the article... -- Jokes Free4Me 19:57, 29 July 2006 (UTC)

The photo appears to be the predatory thrip, which is not discussed . i am not prepared to contribute at this time. 75.117.132.106 04:27, 30 November 2006 (UTC)defrey@bioshelter.com

The photo author has provided a genus and species name for their thrips within the photo itself: Ponticulothrips diospyrosi.

Plague due in UK

It's been 19 or 20 years since the UK had a plague of these things (1990?) and another may have started today, though it's not yet in the news. 80.40.225.228 (talk) 13:23, 29 June 2009 (UTC)

Thrip vid (still alive) - AVEN 500x on a 4 axis CNC for positioning

Here's a link http://home.comcast.net/~ajawam/thrip.wmv Background is a Q-Tip...

Wamnet (talk)

Nice footage. That is a female Frankliniella occidentalis. Aderksen (talk) 04:50, 25 July 2011 (UTC)

Relation to thunder/storms

I'm surprised to find no mention of the reason for their common names. When I was a kid growing up in the countryside of rural Essex, UK, the punctuation of a heatwave by a thunderstorm could usually be predicted a few hours ahead by the seemingly sudden accumulation of vast quantities of thunderbugs on our windowsills. But why? Were they blown in from the fields by increasing wind? Did they lay eggs in the (wooden) sills whose hatching was triggered by increasing humidity? Anyone know? 188.223.34.231 (talk) 00:00, 25 July 2013 (UTC)

The change in relative humidity can be an important trigger for many insects' reproductive behavior. While I do not remember the specifics, I believe that there are a number of grass thrips that engage in dispersal flights shortly before storms. It has been a few years since I read the reference, but I'll try digging up a copy and provide you with a citation and hopefully a better explanation. Aderksen (talk) 15:14, 26 July 2013 (UTC)

Eusociality

Okay, great - glad that you added this section, JSDavis2. Only one problem: it is entirely too much information when compared to the rest of the article. Eusociality is not representative of Thysanoptera as an order. You have covered a few of the galling thrips of Australia, and placed it under "behavior", which due to the excellent summary detail provided, has the unintended consequence of implying that this is common for the order. I am afraid that I am going to have to either cut it back to a few citations, or suggest that you divert it into its own side-article for eusocial thrips. The latter is my preferred solution - I would be happy to work with you on that there, but this content really doesn't belong in this article at this time. This is an article for all Thysanoptera: please keep the article generic to all thrips. Aderksen (talk) 04:55, 29 October 2013 (UTC)

Argh - re-reading this. You are going to have to work on your text here, too. You do not make clear that this behavior is unique to a few genera of thrips. You place a "behavior" header, and then include none of the other behaviors that are common to Thysanoptera as an order, or mention their pest status, the swarming of some species before and after thunderstorms that granted them one of their common names, you do not discuss their occasional biting habits... You discuss the eusociality of a few genera - and you did not note that this was already mentioned by reference #22 - the Crespi and Mound chapter in "The evolution of social behaviour of insects and arachnids" under the Natural History section. I will reiterate: this is a discussion of thrips, and not merely eusocial thrips. I will happily promote this to a full article of its own (proposed title: eusocial thrips), but it really does not belong here. Aderksen (talk) 05:12, 29 October 2013 (UTC)

Okay, that does it. I am removing this whole section in the hopes that it gets your attention. This section really deserves to be its own article, or placed on the relevant species' pages - it does not need to overwhelm the whole of the thrips page. Aderksen (talk) 15:26, 1 November 2013 (UTC)

Peer Review Oct 2013

The page seems pretty complete. I looked over the grammar. Might be nice to input some info about the physical description.Dudas 91 (talk) 23:09, 31 October 2013 (UTC)

This article is far from complete. It could stand to answer a number of the questions presented here on the talk page, and requires additional imagery. While the physical description of the thrips bauplan is discussed in the section on morphology, it would be good to supplement with photos or sketches of thrips wings and the arolium, which is a synapomorphic feature unique to the order. I'd be thrilled if anyone had a license-free image ventral image of the "left mandible of darkness". Aderksen (talk) 15:36, 1 November 2013 (UTC)

Hey Aderksen, sorry it took me a little while to respond. You are right, the information I put on this page is probably inappropriate for the scope of this article. I moved the work that I had to a new page: Kladothrips. Feel free to head over there and check it out if you want. Your help is much appreciated, and let me know if you want me to work on something. JSDavis2 (talk) 19:24, 22 November 2013 (UTC)

Hey, I edited this article on October 31st but forgot to post to the talk page. I mainly went through the article and corrected grammar. I also rearranged the organization of the behavior section, placing the section about “the evolution of eusociality” under the overarching topic of “eusociality” because I felt this made more sense. Rosemaryshanley (talk) 21:22, 20 November 2013 (UTC)