All the traits and how to fight the plague

the essentials in brief

• Thunderstorms can be effectively combated with home remedies such as nettle stock, soapy water, neem oil or sticky traps
• Thunderstorm animals mostly feed on sap and cause damage similar to aphids; however, there are also predatory species that act as pest killers and destroy mites, scale insects and their eggs
• Beneficial insects such as flower bugs, Lacewing larvae and Predatory mites feed on thrips

What helps against thunderstorm animals?

Thunderstorm animals appear suddenly and take advantage of good living conditions. If they settle on houseplants, they find a plentiful supply of food and multiply en masse. To get the spread under control, gentle methods or home remedies have proven themselves. You should generally avoid chemical insecticides. These endanger your health and not only harm unwanted insects.

Showering

You can gently get rid of the pests by rinsing your plants with a hard jet of water. In this way the insects are washed away. Don't forget the undersides of the leaves, because the insects can hold onto smooth surfaces with their bladder feet. This method is suitable if the infestation has not yet passed the initial stage.

Soapy water

This home remedy is particularly gentle and not only helps against thrips. Mix one liter of water with two tablespoons of oil and add a splash of detergent. Alternatively, you can dissolve 15 grams of soap or curd soap in the same amount of water. The solution is distributed with an atomizer so that the entire plant is misted. The treatment should be repeated over several days, spraying the plant with pure water every other day. This prevents pore clogging.

Nettle stock

Some herbs help pest control because their ingredients and essential oils not only promote health but also repel insects. For a nettle stock you need about 500 grams of fresh leaves, which are poured over with five liters of boiling water. You can increase the effects with garlic or onions. Let the mixture stand for 24 hours and spray the plant with the undiluted brew every few days.

Neem oil

The oil is obtained from the seeds of the tree of the same name. It contains the active substance azadirachtin. This has an insecticidal effect and prevents the larvae from shedding their skin to become an adult insect. Adult insects cannot be controlled with neem oil. Dab the clusters of larvae with a cotton swab soaked in oil. Use additional resources to help fight the plague.

Glue traps

This special trap was coated with glue so that flying insects stick to the surface after landing. Blue tablets are particularly effective at attracting thrips. However, this method is only suitable for checking a possible infestation and not for combating it. Wingless stages and species are not captured by the trap and can continue to reproduce.

Use beneficial insects

In closed spaces such as greenhouses or winter gardens, you can spread beneficial insects, which ensure natural containment of the thrips population. The predators include flower bugs, lacewing larvae and predatory mites. The beneficial insects can be purchased on the Internet or in specialist gardeners. If you use beneficial insects, you should avoid other control methods. Otherwise you endanger the survival of the beneficial insects. In addition, you should optimally design the living conditions for the beneficial insects. Adjust the temperature and humidity accordingly.

Digression

Lifespan of thunderstorm animals

From the egg to the adult thunderstorm animal

The biology of thunderstorm animals has been very well researched and still holds many secrets. Since the order contains several families and genera, the way of life is very different.

Reproduction and larval development

Most fringed wings develop several generations per year, provided the weather conditions are optimal. Permanently warm Greenhouses(€ 60.76 at Amazon *) favor mass reproduction. In temperate climates, thunderstorm animals only develop one generation per year. The insects mainly reproduce through asexual reproduction. There are some species that only produce females.

The larvae develop from the eggs within two to 20 days. Then, depending on the species, they display different ways of life. Some remain on the surface, while other fringed winged larvae retreat into the substrate. They resemble the adult fringed winged birds in their appearance and their way of life, but they have no wings.

Further larval development:

• two larval stages are followed by a prepupal stage
• The prepupa stage occurs partially in the cocoon
• then one or two more pupal stages

food

Just like green aphids, the black thunderstorm animals mainly feed on plant sap. They prick individual cells with their mouthparts and suck the fluid out of them. The plant tissue dies and turns light to shiny silver. While some species specialize in certain host plants, other fringed winged birds feed on sap from different species. There are also representatives who mainly feed on bollards.

Food spectrum of the fringed winged birds:

• Predatory species feed on mites, scale insects, and eggs
• some species use fungi on dead wood as food
• some fringed wings develop plant galls in which they eat plant tissue

distribution

Fringed winged birds are spread hundreds or thousands of kilometers with the wind because of their low weight. They are therefore considered to be aerial plankton because they cannot actively change their flight direction. With the exception of the polar regions, fringed wings have spread around the world. Even wingless species could be carried across the seas with the wind. The plant trade, which has been going on since the Middle Ages, also contributes to the spread of insects. Fringed winged birds have their main distribution center in the tropics.

Overwinter

In Central Europe, some adult fringed winged birds survive the winter. The larvae hibernate less often. They flee from unstable habitats such as grain fields and look for sheltered retreats. They prefer to retreat to loose soils or litter, but also crawl in crevices and crevices under tree bark. Close winter quarters that guarantee physical contact on all sides are ideal. As a result, it happens more often that they bring thunderstorm animals into human proximity. They occasionally trigger fire alarms when they enter the tight spaces.

Prevent

A pest infestation is difficult to prevent because the insects can appear suddenly. However, you can ensure that the living conditions are not ideal for the fringed winged birds. Optimal plant care also plays a major role in prevention.

humidity

Thrips like dry air. If your plants are infested, move them to the bathroom temporarily or spray them regularly. When the humidity is high, the reproduction of the fringed winged birds is extremely limited.

In winter, place bowls filled with water on the radiators so that there is a humid microclimate above the windowsill. A large planter filled with gravel collects excess irrigation water, which can then evaporate. Clay pots regulate the water balance in the substrate and direct excess water outside, where it evaporates on the surface.

Change substrate

After you have identified an infestation and successfully controlled the pests, you should repot the plant. Fringed winged larvae live on or in the substrate where they pupate. If you do not completely replace the substrate, the insects can reappear next year.

Overview and naming

Thunderstorm animals, which are officially called fringed wings in German, represent the order Thysanoptera. Long hair fringes on the edges of the wings are characteristic. There are around 5,500 species worldwide, including 400 in Central Europe. More than 200 species occur in Germany. The name thunderstorm animals comes from the way these insects live. They always seem to appear en masse when a summer thunderstorm is on the horizon.

Old dialect names for thunderstorm animals:

• Ostfriesland: Gnidd or Putsigel
• Sudetenland: Wettergeistlein
• Rhineland: Cilia or bumblebee frogs
• Flensburg: Kaulpanne

Bladder feet

The insects have lobed structures on the terminal limbs of their legs called aroliums. You can increase the internal pressure so that the flaps inflate like a balloon. Due to these special structures, thunderstorm animals are able to hold on to smooth surfaces. To improve adhesion, the insects wet their feet with a secretion.

Thrips

In Germany, 26 species are listed as pests that impair agriculture and plant breeding. Common pests are onion thrips (Thrips tabaci) and Parthenothrips dracaenae. Thrips is the scientific term for a genus within the fringed wing, which was adopted in German.

Grain pests in Central Europe:

• Limothrips cerealium
• Limothrips denticornis
• Haplothrips aculeatu

Recognize

Fringed wings reach a size between one and three millimeters. Your body is comparatively elongated. The strongly modified and asymmetrical mouthparts are characteristic of thunderstorm animals. While the right upper jaw has receded considerably, the left upper jaw is shaped into a piercing bristle. These mandibles are used to pierce plant tissue and soak up the juice. Adult insects have four narrow wings, with some species being wingless. The larvae are green in color and translucent.

Risk of confusion: white and black flies

Occasionally this term is also used for thunderstorm animals, which can lead to confusion. Black flies are mainly called fungus gnats, which belong to the order of the two-winged species. They represent a genus within the mosquito. The whiteflies hide whiteflies, which belong to the order of the Schnabelkerfen.

Flight behavior

Thunderstorm animals are not considered aeronautical artists, because they can neither fly against the wind nor soar into the air on their own. The reason for this are the heavily fringed wings, which do not allow a change of direction. Rather, the insects are dependent on the summer thermals.

They rise with the warm air masses and are carried in higher air layers when the weather is nice and temperatures above 20 degrees Celsius. When the air pressure drops due to an approaching thunderstorm, thunderstorm animals attach their wings to their bodies and let themselves sink. They land on the head, in the hair and on the skin.

Interesting facts about the flight:

• Airspeed of ten centimeters per second
• lower wing beat frequency than mosquitoes
• have no control over flight direction

Digression

Physical factors force thunderstorm animals to land

Are thunderstorm animals dangerous?

The black insects are considered annoying companions on humid and warm summer days. They settle on the skin and bite, which can make sensitive people itch. However, the insects do not feed on blood. Rather, the bite is an accidental and harmless side effect.

Symptoms after a sting:

• Skin lesions
• red swelling
• partially inflamed areas

Fluid intake

Some fringed wings are able to sting with their mouthparts. Researchers suspect that thunderstorm animals are misdirected by perspiration and want to absorb moisture. The mouthparts unintentionally scratch the skin. This explains why thunderstorm animals seem to prey on the bare limbs of athletes.

Search for protection

Since rain and cold pose great dangers for thunderstorm animals, the insects crawl into cracks and crevices when precipitation threatens. After landing on humans, they crawl under clothing in search of protection. The animals usually do not sting there.

Thunderstorm animals are annoying, but they can do nothing to humans. You don't belong to the bloodsuckers.

Keep thunderstorm animals away

Light colors like white or yellow seem to attract thunderstorm animals. If you don't want to be a target, you should prefer dark clothing. Once the insects have settled on your clothing, you can shake them off or remove them with a lint roller. Sunglasses help when jogging so that the fringed wings don't accidentally fall in eye devices.

What can be done against thunderstorm animals in the apartment?

Fringed-winged birds can easily get into the apartment, even if there is a fly screen on the window. Use the dustpan and broom to sweep the bugs off the floor after they have settled. Wipe the floor damp or dry with a microfiber cloth. Individual animals can be picked up with an adhesive strip.

Useful or harmful?

Some fringed-winged birds are regular visitors to certain plants. The tropical cycads from the genus Macrozamia are pollinated by thunderstorm animals. It is possible that the cycads are even dependent on the fringed winged species Cycadothrips and cannot reproduce without their help.

Such a dependency is also known from Europe. On the Faroe Islands, the Heather persist only because it is pollinated by the Heidethrips. It is the only species that can be considered a pollinator. All other insects fall out due to the strong winds and only the thunderstorm animals are carried to the flowers with the wind.

Pollinate thunderstorm animals:

• different types of common heather and heather
• Convertible rose
• asian shorea trees
• exotic Belliolum and Popowia species

Plant pests

Around 95 percent of all thrips species are considered pests. They come as a plant vacuum on many indoor plants such as rubber tree, Bow hemp or different orchids. There is often a low level of humidity in the apartment, which is beneficial to the insects. Since the animals are tiny and therefore almost invisible to the naked eye, pest identification is often not easy. The damage patterns can be similar to those of other plant pests.

This is how an infestation by thrips is extreme:

• silvery-gray speckles on the leaves
• sometimes strong deformations occur
• Leaves turn brown as the disease progresses

frequently asked Questions

What do thunderstorm animals eat?

The fringed winged birds have a wide range of food. There are purely herbivorous species that feed on the tissues and sap of various plants. Others visit flowers to eat the pollen. There are thunderstorm animals that feed on fungi in the dead wood and others that live predatory. The latter target arthropods and their egg clutches.

Where do thunderstorm animals come from?

The fringed winged larvae live in or on the ground. Here they pupate before being spread as full-grown insects with the wind. Thermal winds carry the insects into high layers of air. When conditions become suboptimal, they clasp their wings to sink to the ground. This is the case in humid weather, before a thunderstorm approaches.

How long do thunderstorm animals live?

The life expectancy of thunderstorm animals varies and depends on the temperature. Although some species are able to hibernate, most fringed-winged birds die after one season. The California flowering thrips can survive for about 75 days at temperatures of 20 degrees Celsius. If the thermometer drops to 15 degrees Celsius, the service life is only 46 days. Life expectancy is also reduced at higher temperatures. At 35 degrees Celsius, the insects die after about nine days.

Why do thunderstorm animals crawl around the screen of the monitor?

Liquid crystal monitors in particular have a magical attraction for small insects. They are attracted to the light and crawl through the ventilation slots behind the diffuser film and panel glass. It is visible on the monitor and usually does not make it out. When the insects crawl in cracks and crevices, they are looking for protection from cold temperatures and moisture. Niches that offer physical contact from all sides are preferred.

Thunderstorm animals can appear here:

• in cracks behind wallpaper
• on TV
• in the picture frame