Immature hollyhock thrips feeding on an Althea flower bud. Note the dark sunken areas on the bud, apparently where the thrips have fed. Click on image for a larger view.
Dallas, TX, Dallas Co. USA. VIII-22-2014 thrips damaging Althea in home landscape. Pseudophilothrips (=Liothrips) varicornis, Althea is a common host and they cause feeding lesions.
You can check specimens against this Lucid guide by Hoddle and Mound
http://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/thrips_of_california/identify-thrips/key/california-thysanoptera-2012/Media/Html/browse_species/Pseudophilothrips_varicornis.htm