Definition of Thysanoptera in English:


Pronunciation: /ˌTHis-//ˌTHīsəˈnäptərə/

plural noun

  • 1An order of insects that comprises the thrips.

    • ‘For the Insecta, 29 families in 8 orders were identified, with species of Thysanoptera, Coleoptera, and Heteroptera being the most abundant.’
    • ‘For the other two hemipteroid orders, Thysanoptera and Psocoptera, only partial mtDNA sequences are available.’
    • ‘The Recent fauna of Thysanoptera is dominated by taxa that evolved only in the last 40-50 million years, despite at least 230 million years of evolutionary history for the order.’
    • ‘THE ORDER Thysanoptera, or thrips (pi. and sing.), is comprised of approximately 5,000 known species of small insects with diverse life histories and habits.’
    1. 1.1as plural noun thysanoptera Insects of the order "Thysanoptera"; thrips.
      • ‘Pollination is insect mediated, the main foragers observed in the field being small Coleoptera, Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Diptera, and Thysanoptera.’
      • ‘But the scorching weather has also seen the arrival of the irritating heatwave insect, thysanoptera, commonly known as the thunder bug.’


Modern Latin (plural), from Greek thusanos tassel + pteron wing.