Terebrantia

Terebrantia is a suborder of Thysanoptera, the thrips, one of the two principal divisions of the order, the other being Tubulifera. Members are small, slender insects with fringed wings and mouthparts adapted for rasping and sucking plant tissue. A defining feature of the suborder is the female’s external ovipositor, which is used to lay eggs into plant tissue. By contrast, Tubulifera lack a well-developed ovipositor and have a tubular last abdominal segment.

In terms of morphology, terebrantian thrips typically display the specialized ovipositor as a key diagnostic trait, along with other structural details that distinguish them from Tubulifera. They also show life-history traits common to thrips, including a life cycle that is generally rapid and influenced by temperature, host plant, and habitat.

Terebrantia undergo an incomplete or hemimetabolous-like metamorphosis that includes an egg, larval instars, and two non-feeding pupal stages (prepupa and pupa) before the winged adult. This sequence allows rapid population growth under favorable conditions and is shared with other thrips groups, though the presence of the external ovipositor remains a distinguishing characteristic.

Ecology and economic importance: Most species feed on plant tissues, pollen, or associated fungi, and many are found on a wide range of crops and ornamentals. Several terebrantian thrips are considered agricultural pests or vectors of plant viruses, contributing to crop damage and management challenges. They occur worldwide in diverse environments, from natural to cultivated systems.