Helenus hesiformis White, 1879

Heiss, Ernst, 2016, RevIew of the NeotropIcal genus Helenus WhIte, 1879, wIth descrIptIon of a new specIes (HemIptera: Heteroptera: AradIdae), Zootaxa 4088 (4), pp. 555-562 : 556-557

Helenus hesiformis White, 1879

(Figs.1,3,4,8,11)

Type specimen examined: Male ( Fig.1 ) (pinned through right hemelytron, head and pronotum visibly glued together, left mesotarsus missing), labeled (Figs.3,4): “ Type ” (pr., round label with red margin) // “ Syntype ” (pr, round label with blue margin // ”?” (green label) // “seems the n.g. allied to Hesus St.(hw) / (202) (hw)”, reverse side: “ Helenus horridus” (hw) // “Fits descry. of / type of Helenus / hesiformis White / det. W.R.Dolling” (hw) // “Pres.by / Perth Museum / B.M. 1953-629” (pr) // “BMNH / # 1005972” (pr) //. None of these labels seems to be originally attached by White but were added later. As it cannot be excluded with certainty, that this male specimen was the only one—which is not stated as such in the original description—article 73F of International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN, 4th edition 1999): “Avoidance of assumption of holotype ” is adopted and this specimen designated as lectotype and labeled: “ Lectotype ♂ / Helenus / hesiformis / White, 1879 /des. E.Heiss 2015” (pr, red label) //. Deposited in BMNH.

Additional material. 5♂ 2♀ “ Guyane Française / Nouragues / 23 III 2010; 20 IV 2010; 5 VI 2010; 30 IX 2010 / S.Brule” (pr) //; 1♂ 1♀ “ Guyane Française / MCV Vitre / 5 X 2010 / S.Brule” (pr) //; 1♀ “ Guyane Fr. NW / 20km E of Saint / Laurent du Maroni / 12 VIII 2006 Snizek” (pr) // in CEHI. 2♂ 1♀ “ Trinidad / Asa Wright Center / 12–13 VI 96 Heiss” (pr) // CEHI.

Measurements. Lectotype. Length 8.8mm, head length / width 25/21.5; pronotum l/w 35/60; length of antennal segments I/II/III/IV = 22/12/20 /12.5; ratio length of antennae / width of head 3.09; width of abdomen across deltg IV = 3.65mm, and V= 3.70mm.

Distribution. From present records, hesiformis seems to be restricted to NE continental South America reaching from Amazonas basin to French Guyana and the nearby island of Trinidad. The record cited by Kormilev, 1962 from Peru: Upper Amazonas could belong to H.wachteli n. sp. ( Fig.14 )

Discussion. The damaged and obviously later reattached hesiformis lectotype specimen is of lighter colour than the lectotype of hirsutus , however the colouration is variable in the material examined and cannot be used for separating taxa. No groove but a shallow median depression along pro- meso- and metasternum is present, therefore the “much deeper groove along the sternum and venter” hypothesized by Champion is not characteristic. Differs from the other two species as indicated in the key.

Figures

FIGURE 14. Distribution of Helenus species in Northern South and Central America.

FIGURES 1 – 5. Helenus spp.: 1 — Helenus hesiformis, holotype male, dorsal view; 2 — Helenus hirsutus, lectotype male, dorsal view; 3 — labels attached to holotype of hesiformis; 4 — ditto, reverse side; 5 — labels attached to holotype of hirsutus.