A cocoonspinning Thrips 



by 



A. ReIJNE (Paramaribo). 



With plate i. 



In studying the cacaothrips {HelioiJirips yithrociiictiis Gl\kd) 

 in Surinam, two carnivorous thrips-larvae were found, preying 

 on the larvae of the former. The}' are often seen among the 

 colonies of cacaothrips-larvae and easil)' discovered by their 

 habit of running very rapidly, much faster than those of 

 the cacaothrips. One has a broad red band on the six first 

 abdominal segments .(fig. i), the other has a uniform red- 

 dish colour. 



From an article in bulletin XVII of the Dept. of Agri- 

 culture of Trinidad and Tobago by C. B, WiLlAMS, entitled : 

 Notes on some Trinidad thrips of economic importance, it 

 is evident, that these are the larvae of FranklinotJirips 

 tcnuicornis HooD and F. vespiformis Crawford, The adults, 

 bred from these larvae, also agree with the description given 

 there (p. 143 — 144); an adult, bred from the former larva, 

 was determined by Mr. A. C. MorCxAN (of the Bureau of 

 Entomology in Washington) as F. tenuicornis HoOD. 



F. tenuicornis is common in Surinam wherever the cacao- 

 thrips is found, but, according to the cited article, it was 

 only known from Trinidad and Panama ^). F. vespiformis, 

 which is common in the West-Indies and in Central-America, 

 is much rarer here. 



Several times the larvae of F. tenuicornis were seen sucking 



1) According to the „Review of applied Entomology" vol. Ill, Series A 

 (1915) it was described by J. I). Hood in: ,,Ent. News" (Philadelphia) 

 XXVI, p. 162 — 166 (April 191 5) as F. teiiuicornis n. sp. 



