LACE-BUGS., 47 
Piesma cinerea Say is an aberrant form, belonging to the 
sub-family Piesmina. 
In this case the scutellum is not covered, and in long-winged 
specimens the tip of the membrane lacks the network of veins. 
The insect is illustrated in Fig. 39. It is not by any means an 
uncommon occurrence that farmers mistake this insect for the 
destructive chinch-bug, and it is frequently received as such. For 
this reason it is sometimes classed with other hemipterous insects 
as the “false or bogus chinch-bug.” It is easily recognized; 
the prothorax is deeply pitted, so that it looks like the base of the 
wing-covers; the head is deeply bifid at the tip, and there is a 
short robust spine between the eye and antennz on each side. 
Fic. 39.—Piesma cinerea Say. After Riley. 
The insect seems to prefer the pigweed to feed on, but it 
will attack other plants as well. It is exceedingly common in 
some years, and flies about in such large numbers as sometimes 
to cover the outside of buildings. It also infests vine-yards to an 
injurious extent, and is apt to destroy the flower-buds in early 
spring. It has likewise been found to injure the leaves of the 
sugar beet, which become dotted with whitish spots, the results 
of the injected poison. Here again, clean culture, the destruc- 
tion of all sort of rubbish and trash by fire, to remove shelters 
for the winter, will check an undue increase of this and other 
insects. 
