Hylica scutealba sp. n.

(Figs. 10–18, 21–31, 37–42, 48–54)

Length (incl. tegmen): ♂, 6.7–7.8 mm; ♀, 9.0–9.2 mm.

Coloration and morphology. Body with coloration brown-black. Head in dorsal view with one pair of angulate projections between eyes and apex; frons (Fig. 15) produced to short, compressed, slightly curved horn at base and furnished with many small tubercles; frons and clypeus area convex. Pronotum (Fig. 13) without raised median longitudinal ridge; anterior margin straight. Scutellum (Figs. 16, 17) divided into three parts: anterior part disklike with two pairs of large tubers; middle part elevated with centre slightly hollowed out; region connecting middle and posterior part of scutellum long and light-colored; posterior part lower than middle region, furnished near apex with small conical tubercle. Abdomen (Fig. 18) tergites III-VI with lateral margins weakly expanded into dentations.

Male genitalia. (Figs. 25–31, 37–42) Connective (Figs. 31, 40) Y-shaped, stem longer than arms. Style about 2.5x connective length. Only terminal half of shaft with interrupted wavy wrinkles; gonopore subapical on ventral surface.

Female genitalia. Second valvula (Figs. 52, 53) with toothed distal blade slightly more than half of total length, apparently broadened, dorsal margin with small, somewhat irregular teeth distributed over most of length.

Type material. Holotype ♂, S. India, S. Malabar, 1,000m, P. S. Nathan, (NMNH) . Paratypes: 1♂, same data as holotype, (NCUS); 2♂, Siruvani, 1,700m, Coimbatore Dt., S. India, 23 & 26-IX-38, (BMNH) ; 1♂, Muthikolam, 3,000m, Coimbatore Dt., S. India, 23-26-IX-38, (BMNH) ; 2♂, Tenmalai, 500 – 800m, Travancore, S. India, 11-17- X-38, (BMNH) ; 2♂, S. India, 700m, Kerala State, Walayar Forests, X-1965, P. S. Nathan, (BMNH); 1♂, Cheragode Nilgri Hills, S. India, 3,500 ft, Oct. 1950, PSN, (NCUS) ; 1♂, Bangalore, S. India, 3,000ft, 11-X-10, (IMK). ; 1♂, Dohnavur, 350m, Tinnevelly Dt., S. India, 30-IX-38, (BMNH) ; 1♀, Malabar, S. India, 2,000 feet, Oct. 21 1938, P. S. Nathan, (NMNH) .

Etymology. This species epithet was derived by combining scute -, meaning scutellum, with - alba, meaning white.

Remarks. This species closely resembles H. paradoxa Stål, but is readily distinguishable by the shape of the pronotum, scutellum and abdomen, and the texture of the aedeagal shaft.