Thrips have which type of mouthparts?

• A. Chewing mouthparts
• B. Rasping-sucking mouth parts
• C. Piercing-sucking mouthparts
• D. Lapping mouthparts

Answer: (B)

Thrips feed with rasping-sucking mouthparts. Their mouthparts are adapted to first scratch and rasp the plant epidermis with slender, blade-like maxillary stylets, breaking open cells, and then suck the released fluids through a tubular channel. This combination lets them access plant sap without chewing solid tissue. The feeding setup is different from true piercing-sucking insects that use long, needle-like beaks to puncture tissues and directly suck sap; thrips’ stylets are short and their primary action is scraping and then suction. It’s also not a chewing system, which would involve broad mandibles breaking solid tissue, nor a lapping system used by nectar-feeders.