"Thrips Unveiled: Tiny Insects with a Big Impact – And Their Surprising Fly Fishing Connection"
Latin: Thysanoptera – Relevance to Fly Fishing:
Thrips are small, fringed-winged insects that feed on plants and occasionally transmit diseases, posing a threat to agricultural crops.
Where to Find Thrips
The map below shows global observations of thrips, highlighting their widespread distribution. Note that this class encompasses numerous families and thousands of species.
Diversity and Distribution
The insect class Thysanoptera, commonly called thrips, includes roughly 6,000 known species. These tiny insects are distinguished by their fringed wings, asymmetrical mouthparts, and slender bodies. The class is divided into two suborders: Terebrantia and Tubulifera, each containing multiple families and genera.
Thrips thrive worldwide, inhabiting diverse environments such as forests, grasslands, and farmlands. They feed on plant tissues, pollen, or occasionally small insects.
Life Cycle of Thrips
Thrips undergo four developmental stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Females deposit eggs inside plant tissues, where larvae hatch and feed on plant cells, pollen, or tiny insects. After two larval stages, they enter a non-feeding pre-pupal phase, followed by the pupal stage. Adults emerge and continue feeding, depending on the species.
Thrips and Fly Fishing
Due to their small size and terrestrial habits, thrips are rarely relevant to fly fishing. While some species prey on small insects, their primary diet consists of plant matter, which holds little appeal for most fish. Additionally, thrips seldom end up in aquatic environments.
