June, 1919 Bulletin of the Brooklyn Entomological Society 83 
shallow between fore-coxze, represented by two lines of polli- 
- nosity on mesosternum and by a broad and shallow depression of 
metasternum. 
Thorax beneath, coarsely reticulated except for mesosternum 
which is finely granular and dark colored, even black, on each 
side of rostral sulcus. Thorax above, coarsely punctate, more or 
less narrowed anteriorly, humeral regions rather prominent, 
anterior lateral margins distinctly, though narrowly, explanate, 
usually sinuate and slightly reflexed; thorax with five more or 
less evident carinz, the lateral pair sometimes being mere bull 
near anterior angles; the central group of three, of which the 
outer two are the strongest, are often conspicuous, and some- 
times tortuous and more or less calloused; these carinze become 
evanescent on posterior lobe of thorax, the small central one is 
sometimes obsolete, and all may be inconspicuous; the other two 
carine, referred to in a preceding sentence as the lateral pair, do 
not vary so much in development, though in a few cases they 
become prolonged posteriorly, forming veritable carine parallel- 
ing and resembling the central pair; these lateral carinz are im- 
portant however as they share in a character which appears to be 
the most remarkable of any possessed by this group, they being 
hollowed out beneath, housing a cavity, having a lunate opening 
on the underside of thorax just within the anterior portion of 
expanded thoracic margin, the inner side of which cavity is 
convex and smooth, the outer concave with the coarse reticula- 
tion of the upper surface of the thorax showing through; in- 
ternally the inner wall of this cavity is the seat of attachment of 
a very large muscle mass. This peculiar cavity evidently is a 
fundamental character, as it has been found in all the species and 
in nymphs of all stages examined. It does not seem to be 
present in any of the genera of the Tingide, and of all the char- 
acters assigned would seem to afford the most firm ground for 
recognition of the family Piesmide. 
Scutellum: large, granular, exposed near apex in a rounded, 
calloused tubercle. 
Elytra, in macropterous specimens: coarsely punctate, except- 
ing membrane; clavus distinct; elytra without discal area as in 
Tingids, this part of elytron being divided by the prominent 
