Abstract: To investigate the thrips species on the cowpea Vigna unguiculata and to explore the population trends of various kinds of thrips throughout the winter growing season of cowpea, the thrips species and number were surveyed weekly from 2014 to 2016 in Sanya, Hainan Province. The investigation indicated that there were four kinds of thrips: Megalurothrips usitatus (Bagnall), Frankliniella intonsa (Trybom), Thrips palmi Karny and Thrips hawaiiensis Morgan attacked cowpea. M. usitatus and T. palmi occured throughout the winter growing season of cowpea crop, when F. intonsa and T. hawaiiensis occurred only in flowering phase. M. usitatus was the dominant thrips species, and its occurrence peak appeared in the full bloom stage. F. intonsa was the second important thrips, and its quantity increased gradually in the later growth stage of cowpea. Though T. palmi increased in the bloom stage, it was still at a low level. T. hawaiiensis occurred occasionally, and was few in number. Field trials were carried out to evaluate the control efficiencies of new insecticides against thrips during the cowpea full bloom stage. The result indicated that spinetoram and matrine showed better control efficiency than acetamiprid (control) on thrips, and the control efficiencies of spinetoram and matrine were 79.14% and 62.14% respectively at 3 days after spraying (d.a.s.). But the control efficiencies of all treatments excepted spinetoram were less than 50% at 7 d.a.s.. These findings suggest that spinetoram and matrine were considered as optimal pesticides among the five new insecticides for managing thrips, which could be used in alternation with acetamiprid to control thrips in cowpea.