THYSANOPTERA 327 



Order THYSANOPTERA 

 Family THRIPID^E 



Thrips sp. 



Several species of Thrips and allied genera occur in New Zealand, 

 most of which are apparently introduced, but, as far as I am aware, 

 none have been worked out or identified. They are found in numbers 

 in most cultivated flowers, as well as a great many indigenous species; 

 but here again no record has been made of them. In some cases they 

 are found in such abundance on vegetation as to amount to a des- 

 tructive pest. Mr W. W. Smith has sent me foliage of Pittosporum, 

 etc., from New Plymouth, which shows the effects they produce. 

 The undersides of many of the leaves were covered with a rust- 

 coloured dust, others were similarly affected on the upper surface. 

 The cuticle was punctured, and the epidermal cells largely destroyed, 

 while in most of them the chlorophyll was wanting. Whether this had 

 been removed by the insects puncturing the upper layers of tissue, 

 or was due to the destruction of the epidermis, I could not say. 

 Many of the leaves were covered with white patches, which proved 

 to be formed of thousands of minute eggs, apparently of Thrips. 

 The effect on many leaves of the loss of chlorophyll and of the damage 

 to the epidermal tissues was to give them a silvery appearance, and 

 to cause them to present a very sickly aspect. 



Order HEMIPTERA 

 (See Appendix B, p. 560.) 

 Sub-order HETEROPTERA 



Family REDUVIID^ 

 Nabis HneatuSy Dahlbom 



This European species is recorded by Captain Hutton in the Index 

 (1903) as occurring in New Zealand. In a note on those introduced 

 Hemiptera, Mr G. W. Kirkcaldy states that this species is probably 

 included in error. 



Family CIMICID/E 

 Cimex lactularius, Linn. Bed Bug 



This most objectionable insect has been in New Zealand from 

 early days of settlement, as many of the vessels which visited the 

 country were infested with bugs. I first met with them on a coasting 

 steamer in 1884; and Mr Hudson reported them in 1890. They are 

 not particularly common in the South Island, but in the warmer 

 parts of the North Island, many houses are infested with them. 



