Epactiohellica farinai, Carpintero & De Biase, 2019

Carpintero, Diego & De Biase, Sebastián, 2019, Revision of genus Hellica Stål, 1867 and description of three new genera of South American Lanopini (Hemiptera: Acanthosomatidae: Blaudusinae), Revista del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales 21 (2), pp. 133-158 : 136-138

E. farinai sp. nov.

( Figs. 2 , 3 )

Studied material. HOLOTYPE, MACN-En. 34206. Male, ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires, San Clemente del Tuyú , 23-31/XII/1952, N. Kormilev ( MACN). PARATYPES: 6 males and 5 females, same collection data as the holotype ( MACN) ; 1 male, Mar Chiquita Reserve, III-2002, pitfall, Cicchino ( MACN) ; 1 female, Pto. Achaval (Mar de Cobo), Pdo. de Mar Chiquita , 12-IV-1989, col. J. L. Farina ( MMLS) ; URUGUAY: Maldonado: 1 female, Punta del Este ( MACN) .

Description. Male ( Fig. 2 A ). Measurements: (n=5). Total length 4.07 (4.53) 4.76; width: 2.08 (2.35) 2.48; head length: 0.91 (0.98) 1.05; width: 1.11 (1.20) 1.24; interocular space: 0.75 (0.81) 0.85; antennal segment lengths, I: 0.23 (0.25) 0.28; II: 0.23 (0.28) 0.31; III: 0.24 (0.26) 0.29; IV: 0.27 (0,31) 0.35; V: 0.41 (0.42) 0.46; pronotum length: 0. 99 (1.11) 1.20; width at base: 1.97 (2.28) 2.43; scutellum length: 1.18 (1.34) 1.43; width: 1.09 (1.28) 1.41.

General coloration yellowish-brown dorsally, with calli, base of scutellum, and endocorium pale reddish; lateral margins of scutellum whitish with dark brown punctures; venter yellowish-brown.

Head. ( Fig. 5 A ). Wider than long (0.2 times), entirely covered by dense, dark brown punctures, which are homogeneously distributed throughout except around eyes and in two short, smooth, longitudinal bands between ocelli. Antennal segment II very short, but longer than third, and subequal in length to fourth; fifth segment longer. Eyes small, prominent, rounded laterally, their mesial and basal margins straight, junctures between margins angulate; ocelli rounded, larger than surface punctures, not contiguous with pronotum. Posterior margin of bucculae at level with middle of eyes; apex of labium reaching mesosternum; labial segment II longest, third segment shorter than second but slightly longer than fourth segment; third and fourth segments smaller in diameter than observed in species of Hellica .

Thorax. Pronotum two times wider than long; dorsal surface covered by dense, strong, brown punctures; calli, anterior and posterior margins of pronotal collar smooth. Scutellum apically narrow, with uniform, disperse, brown punctures, except along sublateral margins and within a median line, which are smooth; a small, ivory callus in each humeral angle, associated with a fovea (on each side) with dark brown punctures. Hemelytra slightly convex; clavi and coria densely punctured; membrane hyaline, each with a median brown stripe, and a few weak longitudinal veins. Thoracic sterna covered with dense brown punctures, interspersed with a few smooth patches. Legs concolorous with body, tibiae and tarsi with broad, suberect, golden hairs on their inner margins, becoming more dense towards their apical halves; second tarsal segment longer than first.

Abdomen. Connexival segments concolorous with body, punctured. Genitalia: Pygophore ( Fig. 2 D ) slightly punctured along lateral margins, ventral rim slightly concave medially, with two tufts of golden, erect hairs, which are visible in dorsal and ventral views; parameres narrow, elongate, with basal portions laterally black, extremely curved, touching apices of both parameres; apices of parameres sharpened, apically pointing forward. Female ( Fig. 2 B ). Measurements: (n=5). Total length: 4.35 (4.77) 5.11; width: 2.23 (2.50) 2.68; head length: 0.95 (1.07) 1.11; width: 1.15 (1.24) 1.30; interocular space: 0.78 (0.85) 0.90; antennal segment lengths, I: 0.24 (0.26) 0.28; II: 0.28 (0.30) 0.34; III: 0.25 (0.26) 0.27; IV: 0.28 (0.31) 0.33; V: 0.39 (0.42) 0.44; pronotum length: 1.02 (1.17) 1.27; width at base: 2.17 (2.46) 2.63; scutellum length: 1.34 (1.46) 1.57; width: 1.23 (1.41) 1.55.

Similar to male in coloration; Pendergrast’s organs absent ( Fig. 2 E ). Genitalia: First gonocoxae elongate, wide, surface rugose, each gonocoxite markedly convex posteriorly; second gonocoxae small, with each gonocoxite nearly rectangular posteriorly; paratergites 8 narrow, rounded posteriorly; paratergites 9 acute posteriorly, straight anteriorly ( Fig. 2 F ).

Etymology. The specific name is dedicated to our friend Juan L. Farina who has contributed greatly to the knowledge of the entomological fauna of the southeastern regions of the province of Buenos Aires.

Distribution. ARGENTINA: Buenos Aires, URUGUAY: Punta del Este ( Fig. 7 ).

Host plant. Overlaying their geographic distributions and environments in which they have been found, the authors hypothesize that E. farinai occurs primarily on Bolboschoenus maritimus (L.) Palla subspecies paludosus (A. Nelson) T. Koyama (previously known as Scirpus robustus Pursh paludosus (A. Nelson) Fernald) ( Cyperaceae ); an association that had not been verified until now.

Discussion. See under genus.

Figures

Fig. 2. Epactiohellica farinai sp. nov. A. Male, dorsal view. B. Female, dorsal view. C. Female, lateral view. D. Male, pygophore dorsal view. E. Female, abdomen ventral view. F. Female, genitalia caudal view.

Fig. 3. Ventral view of Hellica nitida (left) and Epactiohellica farinai (right). The females are at the top and the males are at the bottom.

Fig. 5. Heads in dorsal view. A. E. farinai sp. nov. B. A. faundezi sp. nov. C. H. nitida Haglund. D. H. johni (Froeschner).

Fig. 7. Map of the distribution of genera Epactiohellica, Alloeohellica and Hellicoides.