Orkin Exterminator & Termite Control

Characteristics of Six-Spotted Thrips

Like other thrips species, Scolothrips sexmaculatus are slender and measure less than three millimeters in length. The Scolothrips sexmaculatus are also known as six-spotted thrips due to the presence of six spots upon their wings.

However, these thrips are not distinguishable from other species before they reach adulthood: Their markings appear only in maturity. During the pupal stage, six-spotted thrips are also almost translucent in color, turning yellow as they age.

Unlike other species, six-spotted thrips do not reproduce in large numbers. Six-spotted thrips also do not share other species' habit of feeding on fruits, plants and vegetables. Both adult and larval six-spotted thrips feed on cyclamen mites, spider mites and red mites. They are capable of greatly reducing populations of these pests, particularly in corn fields, and are considered by farmers to be beneficial for crop protection and growth. However, six-spotted thrips cannot survive in fields treated with insecticides.

Banana Thrips

Red-banded Thrips

Thrips in Vegetables

Thrips Pupa

Thrips and Crassulaceae