A BLOOD-SUCKING THRIPS. 163 
HYpPENINe. 
Laspeyria flecula.—Twenty-eight with full data from Dorset, 
Hants, Oxford, Surrey and Hssex. 
Parascotia fuliginaria.—Two from the Spilsbury Collection 
without data. 
Zanclognatha emortualis.—One specimen from the Spilsbury 
Collection, labelled ‘‘ Loughton, 1870.” 
Madopa salicalis.—Five specimens, all without data. One 
from the Hope Collection, two from the Spilsbury, two from the 
Sellon. The last two have not been reset, and are set very low 
on very old twist-headed pins. 
Herminia cribrumalis.—Twenty-four specimens. Four from 
the Meldola Collection, labelled ‘‘ Wicken Fen.” 
H. derivalis.—Ten specimens with data. Nine from Colchester, 
one from Abbots Wood. 
Hypenodes tenialis and costestrigalis——A fair series of each 
species with full data. The same may be said of T'holomiges 
turfosalis. 
A BLOOD SUCKING THRIPS. 
By C. B. Wiuurams, M.A., F.E.S. 
Some apology is needed for the notes below, as the insect to 
which they relate is unidentified, and the solitary specimen 
obtained has been lost apparently beyond hope of recovery. In 
view, however, of the fact that a blood-sucking habit is quite 
unrecorded among the Thysanoptera, it was thought as well to 
publish the notes in their present incomplete state rather than 
wait an unknown length of time until the discovery of another 
specimen of the thrips. 
On May 18th, 1918, in the Island of Trinidad, British West 
Indies, Mr. F. W. Urich, Entomologist to the Board of Agri- 
culture, gave me a thrips alive in a tube with the information 
that it had settled on his wrist the previous afternoon, waved its 
abdomen from side to side and sucked his blood for about five 
minutes, causing a hot pain similar to that caused by sand-fiies 
(Psychodidx), and leaving turee small red punctures. 
I placed the tube containing the thrips mouth downward over 
my wrist and obtained immediate confirmation of Mr. Urich’s 
interesting observation. After walking for less than half an inch 
on my wrist the thrips selected a suitable spot and then pierced 
the skin with its mouth-paris, causing an immediate hot burning 
sensation. It remained sucking in the same spot for over half 
an hour, causing a sudden sharp pain about once every minute. 
Even after half an hour it only stopped because | accidentally 
disturbed it. Its body was then distended and pale reddish in 
colour owing to the blood contained in it. 
