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The females of the Japanese thrips are very similar in appearance to the Echinothrips americanus. For example, they both have dark colored bodies and the attachment point of the wings is white. Adult females are about 1.3 mm long. There is an essential visual difference between these two trip species. Japanese flower thrips are very motile compared to Echinothrips. The larvae and adult males are yellowish. The pre-pupa and pupal stages can be identified by the developing wing buds. The Japanese thrips do not feed and moves only when disturbed. In adults, both pairs of wings are fully developed. For effective control, it is important to be able to identify which types of thrips is affecting the crop. 

The lifecycle of the Japanese flower thrip consists of 6 stages: egg, 2 larvae stages, prepupal stage, pupa and adult insect. Adult females deposit their eggs in the tissues of the plant. The eggs of Japanese thrips are laid in plant tissue and the pupation takes place in the soil. Adult females hibernate in reproducing in diapause.

The Japanese thrips is primarily a leaf-eating thrips. In Hydrangea, however, it also feeds on the flowers. If we look at the damage caused by the Japanese flower thrips, we see that both flowers and leaves are affected. They do this by puncturing the surface of the plant tissues and sucking out the contents. The damage can be recognized by silvery spots and lines of black dots. The strength of the plant decreases due to loss of chlorophyll. The Japanese flower thrips also transmit tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV).

Japanese flower thrips can be controlled with the help of natural enemies. To prevent Japanese flower thrip problems, the advice is to invest in preventing thrip infestations. This can be done by using insect netting in the air vents.

The natural enemies that can be uses to control Japanese flower thrips are:

• Predatory mites: The product MONcontrol contains predatory mite Transeius montdorensis. The predatory mite provides a good control of, among others, whitefly, thrips and molluscum mites.
• Predatory bugs: The product ORIcontrol and MAJUScontrol contains predatory bugs of the specie Orius laevigatus. These predatory bugs have been proven to be very effective on thrips.
• Nematodes: The product Nemasys F contains nematode Steinernema feltiae. The nematode is the natural enemy of thrips, caterpillars, sciarid fly and leatherjackets. 
• Lacewing: The product CHRYSOcontrol contains lacewing Chrysoperla carnea. The lacewing is a natural enemy of aphids, thrips, spider mites, small caterpillars, whiteflies and mealybugs.
  
  

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