106 HEMIPTERA-HOMOPTERA. 
HELICOPTERA. 
Elidiptera, Spinola, Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr. viii. p- 804 (1839) ; Walker, List of Homopt. Ins. ii. p. 328. 
Helicoptera, Amyot et Serville, Hist. Nat. des Ins. Hémipt. p. 526 (1843); Stal, Hemipt. Afr. iv. 
p. 184. 
This seems to be a cosmopolitan genus, species having been described from Southern 
Europe, Africa, and India, as well as from North and South America. It is represented 
in our collection by rather small inconspicuous insects, usually brown in colour, but 
sometimes prettily variegated with white. The head projects more or less in front of 
the eyes, which are round or ovate, and at most slightly sinuate or flattened underneath ; 
the vertex is not broader than the diameter of one of the eyes; the pronotum is very 
short; the scutellum is tricarinate; the tegmina overlap at the apex for one-third of 
their length; the posterior tibiz are armed with a small spine towards the base. The 
male and female genital organs are compressed into a small compass, and it is difficult 
to make out their component parts without mutilating the specimens. . 
Spinola’s name, Elidiptera, has the precedence, but as that of Amyot and Serville 
appears now to be generally adopted, I have retained it; Helecoptera was used by the 
latter authors as expressing in more correct Greek form the idea of the twisted and 
overlapping wings which Spinola wished to convey in his name. 
1. Helicoptera sobrina, sp. n. (Tab. XI. figg. 14, 14a.) 
Subparallela, capite ante oculos paullo producto, subexcavato ; fronte longa, ad apicem brunneo-testaced, medio 
albido vel testaceo, ad basim nigro, clypeo brunneo-testaceo, sed colore variante; pronoto angusto, testaceo 
nigro-lineato ; scutello colore variante ; tegminibus brunneis plus minusve colore dilutiori variegatis, venis 
crassis plerumque plus minusve asperatis ; alis fumosis ; pedibus variegatis. 
Mas segmento ultimo ventrali impresso, ad medium fortiter carinato producto, stylis brevibus apicibus magnis 
rotundatis. 
A small, dark brown, more or less variegated species, with the head not strongly produced before the eyes, 
which are large and prominent; vertex slightly rounded in front, about as long as broad, subexcavate, 
more or less testaceous; forehead long, as a rule brownish-testaceous in front, whitish in the centre, and 
black at the base, the colours being sharply distinguished, but sometimes entirely testaceous ; pronotum 
with lighter longitudinal lines; scutellum very variable in colour, with the disc usually darker, but 
almost every specimen seen is different ; tegmina varying in colour almost as much as the scutellum, with 
strong veins, which are more or less raised and asperate; wings dark ; legs testaceous, more or less plainly 
ringed with black. 
Male with the last ventral segment of the abdomen impressed and strongly carinate, and produced in the 
middle, the styles very short, with large rounded tips, which are flattened on their outer edge. 
Female with the last ventral segment of the abdomen feebly sinuate, and the pygofer very small, with the 
side-plates truncate. 
Long. cum tegm. 5-74 millim.; lat. ad hum. 14-2 millim. 
Hab. Mexico, Atoyac in Vera Cruz, Teapa in Tabasco (H: H. Smith); Guatemata, 
Cubilguitz, Balheu, San Joaquin, and San Gerénimo in Vera Paz, Cerro Zunil, El 
Reposo, Pantaleon (Champion); Panama, Bugaba, Volcan de Chiriqui, David, San 
Lorenzo (Champion). 
