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非洲蓟马（通常指烟蓟马，也称葱蓟马）是一种世界性分布的著名害虫。要有效防治它，必须深入了解它的特征、特性和生活习性。
以下是关于非洲蓟马（烟蓟马）的详细特征特性：
一、形态特征
1. 成虫
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体型： 非常微小，体长约1-1.5毫米，肉眼仔细观察可见，但需借助放大镜才能看清细节。
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颜色： 身体细长，颜色多变，一般为淡黄色至褐色，越冬代成虫多为深褐色。
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翅膀： 有两对狭长的翅膀，翅膀边缘有长而密的缨毛，故属于“缨翅目”昆虫。静止时翅膀沿背部平行放置。
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口器： 锉吸式口器，这是其最重要的特征。它不像蚊子那样刺吸，而是先用口针锉破植物表皮，然后吸食流出的汁液。
2. 若虫
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形态： 与成虫相似，但体型更小，颜色更浅，通常为白色或淡黄色。
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翅膀： 无翅或只有翅芽。
3. 卵
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形态： 极其微小，长约0.2毫米，肾形。
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颜色： 初期为白色，后期逐渐变为黄白色。
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位置： 通常产在植物的叶肉组织、叶脉表皮下或花器组织中，因此很难被发现和用药物杀死。
二、生物学特性与生活习性
1. 繁殖能力极强
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繁殖方式： 既可进行两性生殖，也可进行孤雌生殖（即雌虫不经过交配即可产卵繁殖后代）。这种特性使得只要有一头雌虫传入新区，就能迅速建立种群，造成爆发为害。
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繁殖速度： 在适宜的温度下（20-30℃），完成一个世代仅需2-3周，一年可发生10-20代，世代重叠严重。
2. 隐蔽性高，难以防治
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栖息场所： 成虫和若虫都非常怕光，喜欢隐藏在植物的花器内、嫩叶背面、生长点皱褶处或叶片与茎秆的交接处等药剂难以直接喷到的部位。
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蛹期在土中： 老熟若虫会钻入表土中化蛹。这意味着即使对植株喷药很彻底，土壤中的蛹仍然存活，会羽化后继续为害。这是蓟马难以根除的重要原因之一。
3. 活动与扩散
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活动时间： 具有昼伏夜出的习性，但在早晨和黄昏时分活动最为活跃。这也是建议在这些时间段施药的原因。
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扩散能力： 成虫虽然能飞，但飞行能力较弱。其主要通过风力扩散，或随苗木、花卉、果蔬产品的调运进行远距离传播。
4. 对环境适应性强
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温度： 喜温暖干旱的环境，高温干旱季节（如春末至秋季）是发生高峰期。但冬季在温室、大棚内可常年发生。
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食性： 食性极杂，寄主范围非常广泛，包括棉花、葱蒜、瓜类、豆类、茄果类（辣椒、茄子）、烟草以及多种花卉和果树等数百种植物。
三、为害特点
蓟马的为害方式直接由其“锉吸式口器”决定。
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直接为害：
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锉吸汁液： 用口器锉伤植物表皮组织，吸食汁液。
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症状表现：
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叶片： 受害叶片出现银白色、灰白色的不规则斑块或条点（表皮细胞被破坏后充满空气所致），叶片失去光泽，僵硬、变脆、卷曲，甚至干枯。
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花器： 为害花瓣，导致花瓣出现白斑、褪色、干枯，影响观赏和坐果。
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嫩梢/生长点： 导致心叶皱缩、僵硬、生长缓慢，甚至坏死，俗称“龙头病”。
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果实： 幼果受害后，果皮会留下银白色或褐色的疤痕（“锈皮”），严重影响商品价值。例如，在黄瓜、辣椒上非常常见。
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间接为害：
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传播病毒病： 这是蓟马为害最严重的一面。烟蓟马是番茄斑萎病毒 等多种重要植物病毒的主要传播媒介。病毒病一旦发生，往往造成毁灭性损失，且无法治愈。
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总结
非洲蓟马（烟蓟马）是一种 “体型微小、繁殖迅猛、隐藏极深、食性杂乱、传毒致命” 的顽固性害虫。它的这些特征特性决定了防治工作必须做到 “及早发现、多措并举、持续进行” ，将化学防治、物理防治和农业措施有机结合，才能取得理想的效果。
African thrips (usually referring to tobacco thrips, also known as onion thrips) are a well-known pest distributed worldwide. To effectively control them, it is essential to understand their characteristics, properties, and life habits.
The following are detailed characteristics of the African thrips (tobacco thrips):
I. Morphological Characteristics
1. Adult
Size: Very small, about 1-1.5 mm in length, visible to the naked eye with careful observation, but details are only visible with a magnifying glass.
Color: Slender body, variable color, generally pale yellow to brown, overwintering adults are mostly dark brown.
Wings: Two pairs of narrow wings with long, dense tufts along the edges, thus belonging to the order Thysanoptera. When at rest, the wings are held parallel to the back.
Mouthparts: Rasp-sucking mouthparts, this is its most important characteristic. Unlike mosquitoes that pierce and suck, it first rasps the plant epidermis with its stylets and then sucks the sap.
2. Nymphs
Morphology: Similar to adults, but smaller and lighter in color, usually white or pale yellow.
Wings: Wingless or with only wing buds.
3. Eggs
Morphology: Extremely small, about 0.2 mm long, kidney-shaped.
Color: Initially white, gradually turning yellowish-white.
Location: Usually laid in the mesophyll tissue, under the epidermis of leaf veins, or in the floral tissues of plants, making them difficult to detect and kill with pesticides.
II. Biological Characteristics and Life Habits
1. Extremely High Reproductive Capacity
Reproduction Method: Can reproduce sexually or parthenogenetically (i.e., females can lay eggs and reproduce without mating). This characteristic allows a single female introduced into a new area to quickly establish a population, causing an outbreak of damage.
Reproduction Rate: Under suitable temperatures (20-30℃), a generation is completed in only 2-3 weeks, with 10-20 generations per year, and significant generation overlap.
2. High concealment, difficult to control
Habitat: Both adults and nymphs are very photophobic and prefer to hide inside plant flowers, on the undersides of young leaves, in the folds of growing points, or at the junction of leaves and stems—areas where pesticides cannot be directly sprayed.
Pupation stage in the soil: Mature nymphs burrow into the topsoil to pupate. This means that even if the plant is thoroughly sprayed, the pupae in the soil will still survive, emerge as adults, and continue to cause damage. This is one of the important reasons why thrips are difficult to eradicate.
3. Activity and dispersal
Activity time: They are nocturnal, but most active in the early morning and at dusk. This is why it is recommended to apply pesticides during these times.
Dispersal ability: Although adults can fly, their flight ability is weak. They are mainly dispersed by wind or by long-distance dispersal through the transportation of seedlings, flowers, fruits, and vegetables.
4. Strong environmental adaptability
Temperature: They prefer warm, dry environments, with peak occurrence during hot, dry seasons (such as late spring to autumn). However, it can occur year-round in greenhouses and polytunnels during winter.
Diet: Thrips have a very diverse diet, with a wide host range, including cotton, onions, garlic, melons, beans, solanaceous vegetables (peppers, eggplants), tobacco, and hundreds of other plants such as various flowers and fruit trees.
III. Damage Characteristics: Thrips' damage methods are directly determined by their "rasping-sucking mouthparts."
Direct Damage:
Sap Sucking: Thrips use their mouthparts to rasp the plant's epidermal tissue and suck out the sap.
Symptoms:
Leaves: Affected leaves develop irregular silvery-white or grayish-white patches or streaks (caused by air filling after epidermal cells are damaged). Leaves lose their luster, become stiff, brittle, curled, and may even dry out.
Flowers: Thrips damage petals, causing white spots, discoloration, and drying, affecting ornamental value and fruit set.
Young Shoots/Growing Points: Causes the central leaves to wrinkle, stiffen, grow slowly, and even die, commonly known as "dragon head disease."
Fruit: When young fruit is damaged, the skin will be left with silvery-white or brown scars ("rust skin"), severely affecting its commercial value. This is very common, for example, on cucumbers and peppers.
Indirect Damage:
Spreading Viral Diseases: This is the most serious aspect of thrips damage. Tobacco thrips are the main vectors for many important plant viruses, such as tomato spotted wilt virus. Once a viral disease occurs, it often causes devastating losses and is incurable.
Summary: African thrips (tobacco thrips) are a stubborn pest characterized by their "tiny size, rapid reproduction, deep hiding, omnivorous diet, and deadly transmission of viruses." These characteristics dictate that control efforts must be "early detection, multi-pronged approach, and continuous implementation," organically combining chemical control, physical control, and agricultural measures to achieve ideal results.