What to observe

• Silvery or bronze feeding scars rather than uniform chlorosis
• Small elongated insects on leaves, flowers, or traps
• Dark fecal specks associated with feeding sites
• Distorted or scarred new growth when feeding occurs on developing tissue

Common look-alikes

• Spider mite stippling
• Mechanical abrasion
• Spray residue or phytotoxicity
• Some viral or environmental distortion

Evidence that improves confirmation

• Use magnification to identify body shape and movement
• Inspect sticky cards and plant tissue together
• Check more than one life stage when possible and track repeated counts

Risk context

• Incoming plant material can introduce thrips
• Flowers and protected growing points can shelter insects
• Weeds or nearby vegetation can serve as alternate hosts

Management principles

• Quarantine and inspect incoming plants
• Use repeatable trap and plant-scouting routes
• Reduce unnecessary plant debris and alternate hosts
• Use only lawful, crop-appropriate, label-compliant controls and verify the result with follow-up counts

Keep the conclusion proportional to the evidence

Use a confirmed identification when available. When evidence is incomplete, label the conclusion as a suspicion or differential rather than presenting it as proven.

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