﻿The genus Thrips of Linne has given rise to as great a variety 

 of opinions regarding its affinities, as Stylops ; but after all 

 tliat has been adduced respecting its aUiance to the Ortho- 

 ptera, Neuroptera, &;c., I have not the least hesitation in adopt- 

 ing the opinion of Mr. Haliday, who lias established it as a 

 distinct order. The setiform mandibles show that Thrips 

 belongs to the Hausteilatii?, and its rostriform tropin undoubt- 

 edly indicate a near relationship to the Homoptera, in which 

 order Psylla (pi. 565) seems to make the nearest approach to 

 it. The trophi are similarly situated at the extremity of tiie 

 face, close to the anterior coxa^ : it has a borer composed of 

 four pieces, and the tarsi are biarticulate. One of the maxil- 

 lary palpi was bent back in the specimen I dissected, which 

 might be an accidental position, for I could not discover the 

 other. Fig. g. represents a piece which projected from be- 

 neath the labrum, which seems to have its analogue in the 

 Tettigonidai {pi. 633. g.). 



These insects live upon the juices of plants, and probably 

 on the pollen, for every flower sometimes swarms with them. 

 It is the Thrips which causes an intolerable irritation of the 

 face, when it runs and leaps with its bladder-shaped feet over 

 the skin, throwing up its head and twisting about its tail to 

 ojien or close its wings. ]\Iinute as they are they do very 

 great injury to various crops. T. jjJnjsapus of Kirby, L. cc- 

 realiuni, Hal. is the insect which, by attacking the wheat 

 stems above the knot occasions abortive ears. " In the year 

 1805," observes Mr. Haliday, "one third of the wheat crop 

 in the richest plains of Piedmont is said to have been destroyed 

 bv this seemingly insimiificant little insect." We also iearn 

 from Professor Passerini, that the olives of Italy are greatly 

 injured by a species of Thrips, which fixes itself under the 

 leaves. The rye-spikes also in IScotland, infested by some of 

 these insects, are stated to become unprolilic. 



I must refer to I\Ir. Haliday's invaluable memoir for cha- 

 racters of the families, genera, and species, a list of which will 

 be found in the Guide, and 1 can only avail myself of that 

 portion of his synoptic table which comprises the genus Thrips 

 as restricted by him. 



A No ocelli Subg. III. Ai-Ti.soTHRirs. 



A A 'I'hrce oci'lli. 



15 I'rothorax in front produced, narrowed I. Chiiioturips. 



Bl} I'rothorax of etjual briadtli. 



C Last segment armed witii two dorsal spines in the? II. Limothrips. 

 t'(" Last abdominal sepnent unarmed. 



I) Style of antenn.v Ionizer than the (ith joint V. Hr.i.oTnniPs. 



1)[) Style sliorter than tlie (ith joint IN'. Tniurs. 



T. (lispar was found by Mr. Haliday " on Fcstuca flnitans 

 and other grasses in autumn." Ktmppia agroslidca. Early 

 Knappia, was communicated by S, II. Hablam, Escj., from 

 Cnicrnsey. 



