Do Thrips Bite Humans?
Thrips DO bite humans.
If you have ever been bitten by something but look down to find nothing there, you could have been bitten by a thrips. (Thrips is the singular and plural form). Measuring in at a minute 1/32"-1/8" long, thrips are difficult to immediately see.
Why Do Thrips Bite?
Thrips do bite humans but not as a defense mechanism as with many other insects. Thrips bite as a means to discover food sources. Though some thrips species will feed on other thrips, insect larvae, and mites, most are phytophages, feeding on plants and plant parts. So soon after a thrips bites you, it will discover that you are not a food source and move on.
BioKIDSKids' Inquiry of Diverse Species, Critter Catalog, Thysanoptera, thripshttp://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Thysanoptera/
Texas AgriLife Extension ServiceThrips: The Invisible Biter http://bexar-tx.tamu.edu/IPM/Landscape/F1/nThrips.htm
"Do Thrips Bite Humans?." Sophisticated Edge. N.p., n.d. Web. . <http://www.sophisticatededge.com/do-thrips-bite-humans.html>.
.The information on this Web site is designed for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your pediatrician or family doctor. It is not meant to take the place of health care or services you may need. Please consult a doctor with any questions or concerns you might have regarding your health.
