''Piesma'' is a genus of ash-grey leaf bugs, insects of the family

Piesmatidae Piesmatidae is a small family of true bugs, commonly called ash-grey leaf bugs. The Piesmatidae are distributed mostly in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, with some occurring in Africa, Australia and South America. A common species found throu ...

. It is the

type genus In biological taxonomy, the type genus is the genus which defines a biological family and the root of the family name. Zoological nomenclature According to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, "The name-bearing type of a nominal f ...

of the family.

Description

''Piesma'' bugs are less than 4mm long and can be distinguished from the similar genus '' Parapiesma'' by the shape of the

pronotum The prothorax is the foremost of the three segments in the thorax of an insect, and bears the first pair of legs. Its principal sclerites (exoskeletal plates) are the pronotum (dorsal), the prosternum (ventral), and the propleuron (lateral) on ea ...

: the side margins have a clearly recognizable notch, which the other lacks. These insects are usually macropterous (having fully developed wings), but are sometimes

brachypterous Brachyptery is an anatomical condition in which an animal has very reduced wings. Such animals or their wings may be described as "brachypterous". Another descriptor for very small wings is microptery. Brachypterous wings generally are not functi ...

.British Bugs: ''Piesma maculatum''.
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Species

, Lygaeoidea Species File and Fossilworks accept the following species: #'' Piesma brachialis'' – United States #'' Piesma capitatum'' – Asia, Europe #'' Piesma ceramica'' – United States #'' Piesma costata'' – United States #'' Piesma dilutus'' – Botswana #'' Piesma explanata'' – United States #'' Piesma linnavuorii'' – Africa #'' Piesma maculatum'' – Europe, Africa #'' Piesma marginepicta'' – Africa #'' Piesma patruela'' – United States #'' Piesma protea'' – United States #†'' Piesma rotunda'' – United States #'' Piesma xishaena'' – China

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q10631574 Piesmatidae Hemiptera of Africa Hemiptera of Asia Hemiptera of Europe Hemiptera of North America Pentatomomorpha genera