“With the pest being so small, hurricane-strength winds could have easily blown them farther north,” he said. “Additionally, within the Houston area, during clean up, infested plant material may be moved into heretofore un-infested areas.”

Whether the pest has been spread further won’t be known for certain for at least a year, he said.

The insect, only one-sixteenth inch long, is known to attack plants in at least 40 plant families, including many foundation plants in the landscape, Ludwig said.

Ludwig has identified chilli thrips damaging cleyera, ornamental sweet potatoes and begonias in the Houston area.

Chilli thrips are usually detected in the landscape by the distinctive damage they do to plants while feeding. Chilli thrips “rasp” away developing plant tissue with their mouth parts, then suck juices from the wound. In response, leaves, buds and fruits may turn bronze in color, he said. Additionally, leaves may curl up and become distorted. Many infested plants become stunted and lose leaves or drop buds.

Control of chilli thrips is not difficult but requires persistent treatment, Ludwig said. “Though the pest is easily killed with insecticides, we have not found any insecticides that provide long-term preventive control,” he said.

The more difficult issue is identification of the insect, as it is relatively new to Texas. In Florida, where the pest was discovered nearly four years ago, the damage caused by chilli thrips was at first confused with the effects of herbicides or foliar diseases.