Identification of thrips species is dependent on the colour, the number and arrangement of the bristles on the body and the details of the comb on the eighth abdominal segment.

In Africa it has been reported from Angola, Botswana, Cape Verde, Chad, Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Mauritius, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda and Zimbabwe; in Asia from Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Java, Malaysia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka; in Europe from Belgium, Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom; in North America from Florida, Colorado and Hawaii; in Central America and the Caribbean from Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and Puerto Rico.

in South America from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela; and in Australasia from Australia, French Polynesia and Papua New Guinea.

In different parts of the world it affects different crops, but these include flowers for cutting, tomato, lettuce, pepper, cucumber, legumes, peanut, spinach, pumpkin, cotton and tobacco.

The second instar larva consumes more mite eggs than any other stage, and when it supplements its diet in this way, both larval development time and mortality is reduced.