Insect paradise

This beautiful Gaillardia wildflower was a popular plant as far as these very tiny insects (Thrips - thanks Lynette!) were concerned. These large flower heads are always a joy to see, adding such bright splashes of yellow to any walk in our natural areas. I photographed this one (and a few others) in Weaselhead on 18 July 2012.

"Thrips (Order Thysanoptera) are tiny, slender insects with fringed wings (thus the scientific name, from the Greek thysanos (fringe) + pteron (wing)[citation needed]). Other common names for thrips include thunderflies, thunderbugs, storm flies, thunderblights, and corn lice. Thrips species feed on a large variety of sources, both plant and animal, by puncturing them and sucking up the contents. A large number of thrips species are considered pests, because they feed on plants with commercial value. Some species of thrips feed on other insects or mites and are considered beneficial, while some feed on fungal spores or pollen. So far around 5,000 species have been described. Thrips are generally tiny (1 mm long or less) and are not good flyers, although they can be carried long distances by the wind. In the right conditions, many species can exponentially increase in population size and form large swarms, making them an irritation to humans."

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thrips

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaillardia_aristata