Photos of the three forms of suspected thrifty pollinating Thrips, Figs 27-30 discussed in the Column's "Thrips as Thelymitra pollinators" in J108:31, prove amongst other things, that these minuscule insects are difficult to photograph, at least until portable electron microscopes are invented.

Kevin Matthews has produced the best pix so far, through his modest home microscope, after keeping them in the fridge for a bit to slow them down.

Fig.27 is Kevin's photo of the burnt sienna Thrips he caught in Spiranthes "Motutangi" flowers, both at Sweetwater and at Motutangi. These orchid-pink flowers - on knee high stems, mark you, about twice the height of S. nz - have the forward margin of the labellum, in-folded to form a slipper toe (J112:16) which he has yet to see unfolded at Sweetwater although a new population at Motutangi did have open labella.

Figure 27

Closed labellum tips do not phase the tiny Thrips which can easily slip through to feed on the insides of these dainty flowers, where they are protected from the elements and any fat predating lady birds which wouldn't make it through the little gap.

Dr Brian Molloy was sent a white form of this orchid and he described the pollinia in Newsletter 22, June 1987 as "acute pointed pollinia that are difficult if not impossible to remove. The tips of the pollinia remain firm and intact even after the flowers wither and die."

This doesn't sound like the friable pollen in Thrips - fall-back self-pollinated Thelymitra but then, this is a more active and different coloured species of Thrips and not the white but the pink form of S. "Motutangi".

Some delicate observation is required to ascertain if these burnt sienna Thrips do access the pollen and do carry it to other flowers. Kevin's photos have yet to show pollen grains attached.

Fig.28. The Column's pic from Mt Messenger Saddle of 19 September 1993, shows a number of creamy Thrips agitated at a white ankled crane fly that had been sipping their nectar. The drawing in J59:13 was made using the same slide from which this image was scanned. Contrast has been increased on Adobe Photoshop just to make the Thrips visible.

Figure 28

There are about 10 in frame; the one on the far right has a pollen grain stuck to its left side; the one to the left of the column appears to be biting the interloping crane-fly's foot. That could explain why it has three feet arrayed in mid air and only three - above its back, note - hanging onto the flower.

The black dot eyes on the Thrips gave away their presence, using a x20 lens on the slide, three years later! They are so small and so well camouflaged, that they were not noticed until then.

A solitary specimen showed up in another of the Column's slides from Mangatangi Dam in the Hunua's from 19 October 1986, also on E. mucronata. This is just visible on the pedicel of the third flower up in Fig 2, J75:19. The fact that these bugs were Thrips, only became clear in 2000; a millennium enlightenment?

Fig.29. Kevin spotted a creamy Thrips in a spider web (how would he do that?) at home near Kaitaia and caught this image with his microscope on 12 February 2008. This is about 4 months late for Earina mucronata flowering so could explain why there is no adhering pollen. Note those coal black eyes, the giveaways in the Mt Messenger pic.

Figure 29

Fig.30. The black Thelymitra Thrips in the post anther lobe of T. nervosa from Shag Point, Palmerston, 30 November 2007. This looks to be the same species as those that Kevin has captured in a variety of sun orchids around Kaitaia. Compare it with his J108: 35, 36 pix.

Figure 30

Fig.31. Kevin also captured a good one of the endemic Thrips obscuratus at Kaimaumau on a Calystegium septum flower, on 10 February 2008. This species is credited with pollinating a number of our small flowered trees as discussed in J108:31.

Figure 31

Fig.32. The Column, vainly trying not to be outdone, photographed a probably introduced species from his Fuchsia bush with reversed 28mm lens and 324mm of extension tubes on 35mm film. This beastly little wrecker, at just 1.53mm long, is almost twice the size of the black Thelymitra Thrips. It is one of some 3,000 species world wide but the family resemblance is unmistakable.

Figure 32

What do you think?