Epactiohellica, Carpintero & De Biase, 2019

Epactiohellica View in CoL gen. nov.

( Figs. 2 View Fig , 3 View Fig )

Type species: Epactiohellica farinai sp. nov., by present designation.

Diagnosis. This genus is characterized by its shape, elongate and slightly flattened dorso-ventrally, the densely punctured body, the small size, the short antennae with segments of subequal length, the flat and long paraclypei, nearly reaching the apex of the anteclypeus, the wide bucculae, the short legs with robust femora, and the absence of Pendergrast’s organs in females.

Description. Oval-elongate, small species, slightly flattened dorso-ventrally, in lateral view, margin of hemelytra and pronotal carina forming a very small angle (compared to Hellica nitida ) ( Fig. 2 C View Fig ). Dorsal surface covered with small, deep punctures, densely dispersed throughout its entire dorsal surface.

Head ( Fig. 5 A View Fig ). Anteclypeus densely punctured all along its length, extending slightly beyond anterior end of paraclypei; the latter flattened in their lateral margin; apically its mesial margin slightly overlapping anterior margin of anteclypeus. Lateral margins of head slightly concave. Antennae short, all five segments of similar length; antennal segment I reaching near the middle of paraclypei; second segment reaching apex of clypeus. Bucculae wide with subparallel dorsoventral margins, covering nearly entire broadness of labial segment I, only ventral margin slightly visible, with a basal punctured line and other points beyond it. Labial segment I slightly surpassing posterior end of bucculae, labium extending to metacoxae. Head ventrally densely punctured.

Thorax. Pronotum subquadrangular; cicatrices immaculate; lateral margins of pronotum straight, strongly carinate, more broadly on its anterior half; humeral angles rounded, a little produced. Scutellum longer than wide at its base, with an ivory callus on each side of base. Hemelytra not covering connexiva on its apical half; basal margin of membrane arising near apex of abdomen. Sternal area without median carina. Each ostiolar peritreme short, twisted, protruding, apically with spiniform process; evaporatoria densely punctured similarly as remainder of thoracic venter. Legs short; femora robust; each tibia flattened ventrally on its apical half, with tuft of spiniform, dark bristles near middle, this tuft may have a stridulatory function as observed in all other species of this genus-complex, and in many other genera of this family.

Abdomen. Strongly, densely punctured except medially. Connexiva with very small, shallow punctures. Basi-abdominal spine present, short, apically rounded, reaching to middle of hind trochanters. Pendergrast’s organs absent in females. In males, lateral margins of 7th sternites nearly straight; pygophore subrhomboid, posterior margin strongly convex, slightly prominent in mesial portion of posterior edge.

Etymology. prefix Epaktios - from the Greek, meaning “coastal, from the coast” ( Brown, 1985), because the four collection sites of this species were on the marine coast, and -hellica from the closely related genus Hellica . The gender is feminine.

Discussion. Beyond its functional importance ( Fischer, 2006; Tsai et al., 2015) the Pendergrast’s organ is a character not yet used in the definition of Acanthosomatidae genera. Its form and relative location, and even its presence/absence are nonetheless constant and very characteristic of each genus. From this study, the authors present this character as useful and complementary to other characters for the discernment of the South American genera of this family.

Epactiohellica differs from the closely related genus Hellica by its smaller size, the density of the punctures on its body, the shorter antennal segments and legs, the wider bucculae, and by the absence of Pendergrast’s organs in the female ( Fig. 3 View Fig ). In addition to the above, it differs from Hellicoides by the flattened (not concave) paraclypei.