What’s this insect?

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Marty Funkhouser

Original Poster:

5,437 posts

193 months

Wednesday 17th July 2024
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Been painting a few rooms and hundreds of them seem to be attracted by the now dry paint. They are very small so apologies for the poor picture.


Composer62

2,050 posts

98 months

Wednesday 17th July 2024
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Marty Funkhouser said:
Been painting a few rooms and hundreds of them seem to be attracted by the now dry paint. They are very small so apologies for the poor picture.

Thrips ?

Evanivitch

23,411 posts

134 months

Wednesday 17th July 2024
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Composer62 said:
Thrips ?
Agreed.

Simpo Two

88,423 posts

277 months

Wednesday 17th July 2024
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There used to be plagues of those - aka thunderflies every summer, but I haven't seen any for years. I think they came off the corn; guess the cornfields are now housing estates.

Composer62

2,050 posts

98 months

Wednesday 17th July 2024
quotequote all
Simpo Two said:
There used to be plagues of those - aka thunderflies every summer, but I haven't seen any for years. I think they came off the corn; guess the cornfields are now housing estates.
That's right, you've just reminded me of that. There used to be swarms of them every summer. Like you, I haven't seen anything like that for ages.

Marty Funkhouser

Original Poster:

5,437 posts

193 months

Wednesday 17th July 2024
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The house is adjacent to a field - wheat I think.

Gnits

969 posts

213 months

Wednesday 17th July 2024
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I am not convinced on the 'thripness' of that pic.
How long is this beasty? Thrips are really small (~2mm at most) and that looks more like a clothes moth to me, some of them rest in an elongated posture but would be about 4mm and will run/fly away, the only time they don't is when they are stuck to wet paint...
More pics!

Marty Funkhouser

Original Poster:

5,437 posts

193 months

Wednesday 17th July 2024
quotequote all
They are tiny. 3/4mm long 1-2mm wide