A. blancheaeT T. canusT R. whitleyiT R. popeae C. curvipesT Undescribed species B. philpotti B. robustusT I. debile I. nasutumT I. nigrifrons David K. McAlpine of the Australian Museum circumscribed and named the genus This in a 1991 overview of Australian Coelopidae, which was published in the journal Systematic Entomology.

[12] McAlpine concurrently created the tribe Ammini, consisting of the genera Amma, Icaridion, and Beaopterus.

[13] Rudolf Meier and Brian Wiegmann conducted a phylogenetic study of twenty two species of Coelopidae based on genetic sequencing of EF-1α and 16S rDNA as well as morphological characteristics.

[14] Meier and Wiegmann argued that neither Coelopellini nor Ammini as McAlpine had circumscribed them were monophyletic, but that together they formed a clade.

[20] The specific name for its type species is a Latin adjective, canus, with meanings including "white", "grey-haired", and "foam-capped".

Some of the characteristics distinguishing This from Rhis include: moderately long vibrissal setae at a prominent angle, the presence of two humeral, postpronotum bristles, and a deeply bilobed surstylus on males.

[24][25] Other generic features include a face whose profile is concave and which lacks a medial carina, short setulae on its cheeks.

[30] K. R. Blanche of the University of New England conducted a field study and laboratory experiments on T. canus for a paper published in 1992.

[35] The mid wrack is ideal for adults to gather and lay eggs due to its moisture and amount of decomposing seaweed; the decomposition emits various vapors which attract the kelp flies.

[36] Blanche's laboratory experiment found that T. canus was able to complete its life cycle on the kelp species Ecklonia radiata but not on the seagrass Zostera capricorni.

[37][b] She concluded that Z. capricorni and dried E. radiata do not provide sufficient bacteria, which serves as a food source, or moisture for the larvae to develop.

[36] Jennifer Blyth, for her 2005 University of Leicester dissertation, studied the mating behavior of coelopids; one experiment examined the mating behavior of Chaetocoelopa littoralis, Chaetocoelopa sydneyensis, Gluma keyseri, Amma blanchae, and This canus in a laboratory setting.

[40] Blyth found that T. canus and A. blanchae had similar mating behavior, which was "markedly different" from the other three species examined.