Fishes - Home

yellow, metallic bluish or greenish. The largest species may be about 5
mm.
Divided into 2 sub-orders (1) Terebrantia, (2) Tubulifera. The former
lays eggs in slits made by ovipositor, in plants. The latter lays openly on
leaves, stems or under bark. Nymphs resemble mohter in character, feed
the same way. Terebrantia becomes inactive after 2 moults, enters a sort of
pupal stage and emerges as adult, shortly after. Tubulifera, after two
moults enters a pupal stage, develops wing pads and then full wings. Life
cycles of species vary from 1 to 7 a year. Hibernate in any stage.
Generally lay eggs after mating but parthenogenesis not uncommon. In
some species males are rare. Majority feed on tissues of plants by piercing
their beaks inside. Sometimes serious pests, specially for young, tender
crops. May feed on leaves, flowers, under bark, form galls or transmit
virus. Migrate in large numbers, but rarely. Some found in debris. About
1,500 species known, 300 in India and about 50 in Maharashtra.
SUB-ORDER TEREBRANTIA
Fam. Aelothripidae. A. fasciatus attacks flowers of mango, Brassica
etc. and leaves of Medicago. A. collaris Pest on wheat.
Fam. Heliothripidae. H. indicus. A serious pest on Solanaceous
plants—potato, tomato, brinjal etc. Also attacks crucifers, palms and
legumes. R. cruentatus. A cosmopolitan pest. T. rutherfordi on Calotropis,
Acalypha, Santalum etc. T. brunneicornis on rose. T. distalis on Val and
pulses. T. longistylus on legumes, Crotalaria etc.
Fam. Thripidae. C. manicatus on tobacco and grasses. N. jonnaphila
on grasses and crucifers. A. mundus on sweet potato. A. flavicinctus on
grasses mainly, on tobacco, arrowroot etc. A. sachari on grasses. A.
dorsalis. Serious pest on chillies, causes ‘leaf curl’ disease ( डी, नाडत 8). Also
recorded on castor, cotton, brinjal, Poinciana. A. chaetophora on crotons
and legumes. F. sulphurea. Common pest on almost all crops. M.
brevipalpis on flowers of chrysanthemum, cosmos, zinnia etc. S. asura on
banana and santalam leaves. S. sexmaculatus, predator on mites of jowar
FAUNA 401