The body is some shade of yellow, yellowish-brown or brown; the antennae have seven segments, the wings are well-developed and females have an ovipositor at the tip of the abdomen.

[1] The onion thrips is thought to have originated in the Mediterranean region but is now found on all continents except Antarctica.

[1] Onion thrips was the first vector identified for tomato spotted wilt virus, being reported in 1927.

[2] The female inserts her saw-like ovipositor into plant tissues and lays her eggs under the epidermis.

Some collections over the years from France, Japan, Taiwan and India have had no reported males at all.

As the plant part grows, so do the damaged regions, leaving silvery streaks.