76 



Observations on the various Insects 



the substances they feed upon, and no doubt the winged indivi- 

 duals can fly. The larva is shuttle-shaped and ochreous ; the 

 head is small and oval, with a minute black eye on each side, and 

 a short beak beneath ; the 2 horns are twice as long as the head, 

 slightly pubescent and 4-jointed ; first 2 joints small, 3rd egg- 

 shaped, 4th nearly as long as the others united, ovate at the base 

 and attenuated to the apex : trunk very long and broad, composed 

 of 3 segments, the 1st trigonate with rounded angles, the 2 fol- 

 lowing forming broad bands : the abdomen is as wide as the 

 thorax, composed of 9 segments, conical and hairy at the apex : 

 6 short legs ; thighs very short ; shanks dilated ; feet indistinct or 

 wanting (fig. 14; 15, the natural size). 



The pupae are also ochreous, but before they change to the 

 perfect state they become much darker ; and being such atoms 

 they are not easily detected under the leaves when at rest, lying 

 close to the midrib or nervures, but they run about lively enough 

 when disturbed. 



They belong to the Order Hemiptera,* the Family 

 Thripsid^:, and the Genus Thrips, The species on the po- 

 tato was described by Linnaeus a century back, under the name of 



9. T. minutissima (fig. 16; 17, natural size). It is scarcely 

 4- of a line long ; pale brown or dirty ochreous : the horns are 

 short and 6-jointed ; the eyes are intensely black : the trunk is 

 concave, and the sides parallel : the abdomen is oval, pointed, 

 piceous, and shining : the 4 wings, lying parallel on the back, are 

 narrow, dirty white, and ciliated : 6 short legs, stoutish and ochre- 

 ous; shanks and feet simple. 



Smynthurus and Podura ; the Ground-fleas. 



In July and August numbers of these curious little creatures 

 accompanied the Thrips, running and skipping about the under- 

 side of the potato-leaves, often falling down upon their backs. 



They constitute an Order called Thysanura, and belong to 

 the Genus Smynthurus. As I cannot find any description 

 which entirely agrees with the potato species, I have named it 



10. S. Solani. It is not bigger than a small grain of sand, 

 and either entirely of a deep ochreous colour with black eyes, or 

 as black as soot with ochreous horns : the head is large, like a 

 great mask, and attached by a slender neck : the eyes are placed 

 on each side of the crown ; the horns are more than half the 

 length of the body, slender, elbowed, and 4-jointed ? the trunk 

 and body are united, forming a large globose mass, with a forked 

 tail doubled under the latter for leaping : the 6 legs are rather 



* Mr. Haliday raised the Thrips to a distinct order, Thysanoptera ; Ent. 

 Mag., vol. iii. p. 439, and Curtis's Brit. Ent., fol. and pi. 748, 



