# Orius

> Minute pirate bugs of the genus Orius, such as Orius insidiosus, that hunt adult and larval thrips plus mites and aphids; some strains pause breeding under short days.

- Canonical: https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/orius.html
- Also written: minute pirate bug, minute pirate bugs, Orius insidiosus, Orius laevigatus, pirate bug
- Glossary category: Pests and diseases · Evidence: Established
- Status: Draft: awaiting expert review · Updated: 2026-10-31
- Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), attribute "GenetixBay cannabis glossary"

*Orius* is a genus of minute pirate bugs (family Anthocoridae), small black-and-white predatory bugs about 2-3 mm long. They pierce prey with a beak and suck it dry. They are among the few released predators that eat adult [thrips](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/thrips.md) as well as larvae, and they also take [mites](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/two-spotted-spider-mite.md), aphids and insect eggs. They can survive on pollen when prey is scarce.

## In practice

Growers release *Orius insidiosus* or *Orius laevigatus* in veg to build a population ahead of thrips pressure, often with pollen supplements or flowering [banker plants](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/banker-plant.md). They establish slowly and cost more than [predatory mites](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/predatory-mite.md), so they suit longer crops and [mothers](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/mother-plant.md). A key point for cannabis: some *Orius* populations enter [reproductive diapause](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/diapause.md) under short days, which affects 12-hour flowering rooms; ask the supplier for a non-diapausing strain. They are frequently combined with *[Amblyseius swirskii](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/amblyseius-swirskii.md)* or *[Neoseiulus cucumeris](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/neoseiulus-cucumeris.md)*.

## Don't confuse with

- **Predatory mites**: much smaller and only take young thrips larvae.
- **Thrips**: slender, straw-coloured or brown, with fringed wings.
- **Bed bugs**: a different, blood-feeding family.

## Related terms

[Thrips](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/thrips.md), [Amblyseius swirskii](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/amblyseius-swirskii.md), [Neoseiulus cucumeris](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/neoseiulus-cucumeris.md), [Biological control](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/biological-control.md), [Banker plant](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/glossary/banker-plant.md)

## Read more

- [Thrips on cannabis: life table, temperature, scouting and biological control](https://genetixbay.com/knowledge/pests/thrips.md)

## Sources

1. UConn IPM. Biological Control of Western Flower Thrips. https://ipm.cahnr.uconn.edu/ipm-biological-control-of-western-flower-thrips/
2. UC IPM. Pest Notes: Thrips (Publication 7429). https://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7429.html