618 I'RC/CEEDINGS OF THE TUIHD E\T0M()I,()G1CAL MEETING 



These, along with the caterpillars of Spalgius epiiis clear away the 

 colonies on mulberry as well as, on Ficus religiosa. The latter appears 

 late but is very effective in freeing the plant of its pest. In one instance 

 a single Spcdgius epius caterpillar was observed to have cleared away the 

 colonics of the mealy-bug on a large-sized mulberry plant. The cater- 

 pillar moves about quickly from branch to branch devouring the nymphs 

 as well as the females. When full-fed, it pupates on the leaves of the 

 infested plant. Hitherto no parasite has been found on the eggmasses 

 or on the adult males of Phenacoccus hirsutus. 



26.— A NOTE ON OUR PRESENT KNOWLEDGE OF INDIAN 

 THYSANOPTERA AND THEIR ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE. 



By T. V. Ramakrishna Ayyar, B.A., F.E.S., F.Z.S., Actvng Govern- 

 ment Entomologist, Madras. 



Though, one of the major sub-divisions into which the great class of 

 insects is divided, the Order Thysanoptera is one which has hardly 

 received any serious attention till now from Entomologists in India. 

 ■In America and other Western countries the importance of some of the 

 species of this Order has been realized and a good deal of work has been 

 done in this direction. Some of the well-known j^ests of this group in 

 western countries are the pear thrips, orange thrips, tobacco thrips, 

 wheat thrips and so on. Though many of the forms of this group are 

 found in flowers and are apparently harmless, the group as a whole 

 should not be considered so harmless as we are often led to believe. I 

 liave, therefore, attempted in this note briefly to review our knowledge 

 of Indian forms so far known and add a few remarks as to the economic 

 importance of the group as a whole and of some of the species in parti- 

 cular. 



So far as I have been able to find out the following appear to be the 

 previous records of Thysanoptera from India. Uzel's Monograph of 

 this group, which was published In 1895 and which unfortunately is 

 in the Bohemian language, according to Lefroy records only two Indian 

 species, viz., Idolofkrips Jialidayi, Newm., and Phtocothrips anacardii, 

 Newm., both from South India. 



The later records of species from India are mostly by Bagnall. This 

 well-known Thysanopterologist has described the following species up-to- 

 date so far as I know : 



(1) Panchcetothrips indicits, p. 237, Records of the Indian Museum VII, 1912 — on 



turmeric, Madras. 



(2) Heliothripsindicus, p. 291, Annals and Magazine of N. H. XII, 1913— on onion, 



brinjal, indigo, etc., Bengal. 



(3) Physolhrips lefroyi, p. 290, Annals and Magazine of N. H. XII, 1913, on tea 



flowers, Bengal. 



