The family Thripidæ, though possessing many characters of peculiar interest, and being of no little importance economically, has received but very little attention from American Entomologists, either systematic or economic. With the exception of a few notes upon their habits, and descriptions of some four or five species by Dr. Fitch, and also a few notes by Mr. Walsh and Prof. Riley, concerning their food habits, scarcely anything has been written of our native species.

Without going into a discussion of the classification of the group, or the peculiar characters which seem to ally it to different orders, it will be sufficient here to state that the wings are entirely membranous and folded flat upon the back, which, with the general conformation of the body, would seem to place it with the Homopterous division of the Hemiptera. The mouth parts, however, are free, composed of both mandibles and maxillæ, and the maxillæ and labium are palpigerous—characters very diverse from those of the group just mentioned.