This study investigates the rapid and repeated climate adaptation of the insect *Thrips palmi* following its invasion and range expansion from subtropical to temperate regions. The authors found a geographically associated population genetic structure, with a stepping-stone dispersal pattern from southern China to northern regions. Common garden experiments revealed clinal patterns in thermal tolerance, measured by critical thermal maximum (CT_max), closely linked to latitude and temperature variables. A selection experiment confirmed the evolutionary potential of CT_max, with an estimated heritability of 6.8%. Three chromosome inversions were identified that were closely associated with CT_max, accounting for 49.9%, 19.6%, and 8.6% of the variance in CT_max among populations. Other genomic variations outside the inversion region were specific to certain populations but functionally conserved. These findings highlight rapid adaptation to CT_max in both open field and greenhouse populations and emphasize the importance of inversions as large-effect alleles in climate adaptation. The study provides insights into the genomic basis of rapid evolution in an invasive insect during range expansion.This study investigates the rapid and repeated climate adaptation of the insect *Thrips palmi* following its invasion and range expansion from subtropical to temperate regions. The authors found a geographically associated population genetic structure, with a stepping-stone dispersal pattern from southern China to northern regions. Common garden experiments revealed clinal patterns in thermal tolerance, measured by critical thermal maximum (CT_max), closely linked to latitude and temperature variables. A selection experiment confirmed the evolutionary potential of CT_max, with an estimated heritability of 6.8%. Three chromosome inversions were identified that were closely associated with CT_max, accounting for 49.9%, 19.6%, and 8.6% of the variance in CT_max among populations. Other genomic variations outside the inversion region were specific to certain populations but functionally conserved. These findings highlight rapid adaptation to CT_max in both open field and greenhouse populations and emphasize the importance of inversions as large-effect alleles in climate adaptation. The study provides insights into the genomic basis of rapid evolution in an invasive insect during range expansion.