A NEW SPECIES OF PLEA 

 (HEMIPTERA-NOTONECTID^)* 



CARL J. DRAKE 

 Department of Forest Entomology, New York State College of Forestry 



The genus Plea of Leach, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, XII, 

 1817, pp. 11 and 13, is represented in North America by a single 

 described species. Plea striola Fieber. During the past summer, 

 1921, the writer collected seven specimens of an apparently 

 undescribed species in a small stagnant . pond near Fayette, 

 Miss. The insect is named in honor of Prof. R. W. Harned, who 

 is taking a very active interest in the insect fauna of Mississippi. 



Plea harnedi n. sp. 



Yellowish gray, the fuscous markings large and prominent. Size 

 small, not twice as long as broad, smooth, somewhat shining, quite 

 coarsely and rather closely punctured, many of the punctures with a 

 very short, inconspicuous, decumbent hair (visible under the high 

 power of binocular). Dorsal surface somewhat flattened at the 

 scutellum. Elytra short, of a uniform structure, very declivous pos- 

 teriorly, each elytron, like in P. minutissima (Fussl.) of the Palaearctic 

 region, divided into two distinct areas, the clavus and the corium. 

 Wings well developed, folded beneath the elytra and thus entirely con- 

 cealed from view when not in use. Head strongly punctured, with a 

 large median, triangular, brown or fuscous area between the eyes. The 

 eyes reddish brown or black. Scutellum fuscous, the apex yellowish 

 gray. Pronotum largely fuscous, a median rectangular spot back of 

 the collum, the sides and posterior margin yellowish gray. The fuscous 

 areas of the elytra and pronotum slightly variable in size. Rostrum 

 and body beneath blackish. Legs yellowish brown, the coxae and 

 trochanters blackish, the tips of the femora and of the third tarsal 

 segments fuscous. Posterior legs with numerous hairs along the inner 

 margins. Length, 2.27 mm.; width, 1.2 mm. 



Seven specimens, taken in a small artificial pond, July 23, 

 1921, a few miles from Fayette, Miss. Type in my collection. 

 Paratypes in the National Museum, Mississippi Agricultural 

 College and my collection. As the species is very distinct and 



* Contributions from the Department of Entomology, the New York State 

 College of Forestry, Syracuse, N. Y., No. 38. 



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