Thrips, a genus of predatory insects.

T. adonidum is particularly injurious to stove plants. Its different forms are thus portrayed by that excellent entomologist, Mr. Curtis: -

"The larva; and pupa: are yellowish-white, and the perfect insect is of a dull deep black, with the point, and sometimes the whole of the abdomen, of a rust colour, the wings are dirty white, the horns and legs yellowish, the extremity of the former black; it is very troublesome in hot-houses, attacking tropical plants by piercing the under side of the leaves, and one often sees at the tip of the tail a globule of blackish fluid, which it soon deposits, and by innumerable spots of this glutinous matter the pores of the leaves are stopped up, and large portions of the surface become blotched. During March the full-grown larva; and pupa;, which are as large as the perfect insect, are found in groups, feeding on the under side of the leaves, and at this time the recently hatched but perfect insect, either lies close under the ribs, or roves about in search of a mate." - Gard. Chron.

T. ochracens infests the ripe fruit of plums, peaches, and nectarines, piercing the stalks and causing their fall, and rendering the fruit disgusting. It was first noticed, and thus described by Mr. Curtis: -

"It is narrow and linear, of a bright and deep ochreous colour, the eyes are black, the horns appear to be only six-jointed and brownish at the tips; it has three ocelli in the crown, the body is hairy, the tip pointed and bristly, the wings are shorter than the body in the male, lying parallel on the back when at rest, narrow, especially the under ones, and fringed, the hairs longest beneath and at the point, tips of feet dusky." - Gard. Chron.