Thrips are very small insects in the order Thysanoptera, sometimes called thunderbugs. They are generally very small, averaging around 1 - 2mm in length. The word thrips is both singular and plural. So there may be several thrips or one thrips.

Many species are considered agricultural pests or a pest to gardeners, I will try to address this with each species below.

As I have come to expect when loking at smaller insects in Guernsey, the Thrips are very under recorded, this did however surprise me with the potential for agricultural pest species and the horticultural past of Guernsey.

The current Guernsey lists consist of the following species, seven of these were on the list before I started searching, I have added the rest.

I do need to make a disclaimer that I need to double check nomenclature as the old Guernsey records are likely just that, old.

I have received a huge amount of help with identification and how to mount specimens from Dr. Manfred R. Ulitzka, check out his website here which includes some incredible photography: Thrips-ID English – All about thrips (Thysanoptera)

• Aeolothrips ericae
• Aeolothrips tenuicornis
• Apterothrips apteris
• Aptinothrips rufus
• Chirothrips manicatus
• Haplothrips statices
• Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis
  
• Melanthrips fuscus
• Merothrips brunneus
• Odontothrips ulicis
• Taeniothrips inconsequens
• Taeniothrips picipes (no photo, I have to find it yet)
• Thrips atratus (no photo, still to find)
• Thrips flavus
• Thrips fuscipennis (no photo, still to find)
• Thrips major
• Thrips tabaci (no photo, still to find)
• Thrips vulgatissimus

I have added photographs below of the species I have found and identified.

Identification is not easy, but a key can be followed with the use of a microscope at a magnification between 100:1 and 400:1, this of course requires a dead specimen and with thrips they also need to be slide mounted, somewhat fatal for the thrips concerned. In the interest of identification and understanding the species present in Guernsey and the wider Channel Islands and any threat which might need to be recognised, I feel that the taking of a few specimens for the purpose of identification is acceptable.