Hellica johnpolhemi, Froeschner, 1999

Hellica johnpolhemi View in CoL , new species

Figs. 4, 5

Diagnosis.From the other two species in Hellica this one can be readily recognized by the mostly black abdomen (except lateral margins) and presence of two (usually joined) black blotches at base of scutellum or byconveniently available characters in each sex: in the male the apical margin of the genital capsule is broadly and shallowlybilobedin the middle third ( Fig. 4); in the female the posterolateral margin of the third genital plate is convexly rounded, coveringthe lateral end of the second genital plate and slightly overlapping the posterior lateral angle of the basal genital plate ( Fig. 5).

Description. Holotypemale: Oval; length 6.2, width 3.5. General color dorsally yellow to tan with fuscous punctures; head basad of ocelli narrowly black; each pronotal callous with a transverse, anteriorly concave black line; base of scutellum with a conspicuous black blotch on each side of middle, these usually narrowly joined across midline, outer margin narrowly black almost to apex; clavus and mesocorium translucent, darker than opaque yellow exocorium; hemelytral membrane brownish. Ventrally blackexcept for yellow on head, first 3 segments of labium, acetabula, legs, margins of abdomen, and genital capsule.

Head across eyes wider than long: 1.6:1.1; preocular margin weakly elevated along preocular concavity. ̊ylus weaklytumid,side divergingfrom near base, apex broader than and faintly surpassing apices of juga. Antennal segments I-V in ratio 0.32:0.50:0.40:0.72:0.81; segmentI notreachingapex of head. Bucculae slightly surpassing apex of labial segment 1,abruptly terminatedposteriorly. Labium reaching between middle coxae; segments I-IV inratio0.60:0.67:0.38:0.31.

Pronotum slightly more than twice as wide as midlength, 3.5:1.5 anterior margin strongly concave; lateral margin nearly straight, apical and humeral angles rounded; disc with narrow transverse calloused area enclosing calli; posterior lobe slightly darker than anterior lobe, with numerous well-separated darkened punctures.

Scutellum as wide as long, 2.0:2.0; disc with scattered fuscous punctures; punctures along lateral margin forming a close-set row; apex narrowly rounded.

Hemelytron slightly surpassing apex of abdomen, costal margin weakly convex.

Abdomen polished, impunctate on middle third and lateral margins. Genital capsule, with parameres, as in figure 4, setae along apical margin scattered, not arranged in discrete patches.

Distribution.Knownfrom Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia.

T ypes. Holotype, male, BOLIVIA, Quime, 10,000 ft. Mulford Biological Exploration, 1921 -22, Wm. Mann(National Museum of Natural History) . Paratypes: same data as for holotype; 2males, 1 female , ARGENTINA: Terri, [tory Formosa, Gran Guardia , II-2-1953, Juan Foerster, J. C. Lutz collection 1961, 1 female ; BRAZIL, T afe del Valle, Quebradada la Angostura , 26-11-53, 1800 m., J. Herrera (U.S. National Museum of Natural History) .

Discussion. ̊ he above general descriptive characters apply to both sexes. ̊he paratypes are slightly larger than the holotype: males, 6.1-6.2, females, 6.3-6.5.

Because there were no males and females bearing the same locality data, there is a possibilitythey are improperlyassociatedhere,but the presence of the large, black, basal blotches on the scutellum of both sexes (absent on all available specimens of the other two species) was used as a convenient character for associating them.

̊his species name is formed from the two names of Dr. John ̊. Polhemus.