COLEOPTERA. 
151 
the wheat, and sometimes has caused serious damage. 
The wings of the Thrips are very peculiar; they are 
four in number, quite destitute of nerves or folds, but 
are provided with very long and delicate hairs, which 
extend all round the wings ; the front pair are rather 
larger than the hind pair ; but all four are narrow. 
From the presence of these fringes, the Thripidce have 
been considered by some entomologists to form a dis¬ 
tinct Order, to which the name of Thysanopter^; 
(Fringe-winged) has been given. The metamorphosis 
is incomplete, the larva being as active as the imago, to 
which it bears a close resemblance both in structure 
and habits ; in colour the larvae are paler than the 
perfect insects, which are always black. The nature of 
the metamorphosis would appear to unite the Tkripidce 
with the Orders Orthoptera or Hemiptera ; but the 
structure of the wings and mouth parts would exclude 
them from these orders. Perhaps it is better to con¬ 
sider these insects, of which the Thripidce is the only 
family, as forming a separate order, viz., that of the 
Thysanoptera. 
Another very curious family of insects, and which is 
now generally regarded as forming an aberrant order, 
under the name of Strepsiptera, is one which is parasitic 
upon bees and wasps. The order consists of a single 
family, which has received the name of Stylopidico , i.e., 
“column-eyed,” in relation to the pair of prominent eyes. 
The position of these insects in the system is difficult 
to determine ; some entomologists have placed them 
amongst the Hymenoptera , others amongst the Diptera; 
but perhaps their proper position is between the 
Coleoptera and the Hymenoptera . However this may 
