June, 1919 Bulletin of the Brooklyn Entomological Society 87 
of Heteropterous Hemiptera of North America, 1832, p. 26; The 
Complete Writings of Thomas Say on the Entomology of North 
America, I, 1859, p. 349. [United States.] 
The more valuable recognition characters of this species are: 
Thorax distinctly narrower in front than behind, thoracic carinze 
strong, usually slightly tortuous and calloused, the smaller median 
carnia usually evident ; third antennal joint long, distinctly longer 
than fourth; reticulated area between posterior extension of 
brachial vein and membrane, of nearly uniform width where 
transversed by second and fourth membranal veins, the edge - 
usually almost straight. Areolar formula; see table, page 92. 
Length 2.75-3.25 mm. é 
Apparently P. cinerea remains a_transcontinental species. 
This is not to say that there is not a considerable degree of varia- 
tion, but that it is not distinctly correlated with geographic dis- 
tribution or is otherwise unavailable for taxonomic purposes. A 
few specimens examined had the paranota almost bisinuate and 
somewhat reflexed, but I am convinced this is mere individual 
variation. There are faint indications that a western subspecies 
is forming; specimens from California in particular seem to 
average larger, paler in color and have the third antennal joint 
slightly shorter. These differences are not marked however and 
I am not inclined to recognize them by naming the variants. 
The coloration is variable, the usual pattern being a pale 
stramineous ground bearing mostly irregular brownish blotches, 
largest and sometimes solidly occupying considerable areas on 
posterior lobe of thorax. On costal margin 6-7 spots tend to 
have a more regular oblong form. On the anterior lobe of the 
thorax outside of carinze and just anterior to transverse impres- 
sion are two approximately round brown patches covering the 
callosites. The ground color varies to dead white and rubescent 
and the markings from light-brown to black. 
The color varieties grade into each other to such an extent 
that it is probably not worth while to name all of them. I have 
separated under vernacular name only, pale, spotted and dark 
varieties. One other variety which is distinct and always sepa- 
rable, 1 name Piesma cinerea var. inornata new variety. It varies 
from pale stramineous to greenish in color, and is entirely with- 
