Which order includes thrips?

Which order includes thrips?

• A. Diptera
• B. Lepidoptera
• C. Thysanoptera
• D. Coleoptera

Answer: (C)

Thrips are tiny, slender insects whose most distinctive feature is their fringed wings, along with piercing-sucking mouthparts used to feed on plant tissue. These traits place them in the order Thysanoptera. The term thysan- refers to fringed, highlighting the wings. In contrast, Diptera are insects with one pair of wings (true flies), Lepidoptera have scaly wings (butterflies and moths), and Coleoptera have hard forewings called elytra (beetles). Because thrips exhibit the small size and fringed-wing morphology, the order that includes them is Thysanoptera.

Thrips are tiny, slender insects whose most distinctive feature is their fringed wings, along with piercing-sucking mouthparts used to feed on plant tissue. These traits place them in the order Thysanoptera. The term thysan- refers to fringed, highlighting the wings. In contrast, Diptera are insects with one pair of wings (true flies), Lepidoptera have scaly wings (butterflies and moths), and Coleoptera have hard forewings called elytra (beetles). Because thrips exhibit the small size and fringed-wing morphology, the order that includes them is Thysanoptera.