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| Thrips on flowers of pointleaf manzanita |
Thrips are
very small insects (often no larger than 2 mm), many species of which feed on
plant leaves and flowers. In addition to causing physical damage, this can also
transfer plant viruses. It is not surprising, therefore, that thrips are often
looked upon as pests when found in agricultural settings.
This bad rap has often stood in the way of
recognizing the potential benefits these insects may provide in nature, such as
pollination services. In this paper we describe research that examined whether
thrips might contribute to reproductive success of pointleaf manzanita plants.
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