The link between cereal thrips and thunderstorms

Across much of northern Europe, there is a traditional link between thunderstorms and the mass appearance of thrips migrating from cereal crops. The link is reflected in the common names for thrips in seven countries. This association could be a coincidence because cereal thrips migrate in warm weather in summer when thunderstorms are common, but personal observations and an earlier study indicate that a causative link is likely. The possibility that electric fields from thunderstorms affect the behaviour of cereal thrips is discussed.