strawberry bugs | strawberry insect

This image was taken of strawberries after washing with water and placed under the microscope. Now everyone is wondering what is this thing on strawberry ?! It is an insect not seen with the naked eye. In other words, it is correct that it is an insect pest.This insect is found on some vegetables and fruits, and this is what I found after some research.

This insect pest is called western flower thrips and is one of the most destructive insect pests in greenhouse horticulture. Western flower thrips can be found on a variety of plants, including many vegetable and ornamental crops, in greenhouses and on various herbs. It is a particularly important pest in cucumber, sweet pepper, eggplant, and many decorative crops.

Thrips cause damage to plants by puncturing surface tissue cells and absorbing their contents, causing the death of surrounding tissues. Silver-gray spots on leaves and black dots from their droppings indicate their presence in the crop. Plant strength is reduced by loss of chlorophyll. When the injury becomes serious, the leaves themselves can shrink.

Western thrips prefer to feed on growing plant tissues such as growing tips and flower buds. Fruits can also be damaged and can cause harm through the transmission of viruses as the western thrips flower is the most important vector for both wilt tomato wilt virus and dead spot virus. Both viruses affect a wide range of plants, and a single host plant often affects both viruses.

It is recommended to wash fruits and vegetables well with water for not less than 5 minutes, and it is best to wash them with water, salt, and vinegar and rub them well to avoid exposure to diseases.