no. 3811 HESPEROLABOPS — FROESCHNER 5 



conspicuous. It causes the plants to assume a spotted appearance, 

 but, except where the bugs are unusually abundant, the joints recover. 

 It is not a true cactus insect, but has been found upon a variety of 

 other plants." 



The occurrence on other plants may be due to a more general taste 

 or may result from the nervous activity of a bug that flies quickly 

 when disturbed. Observations of flying stages of insects resting on a 

 plant should not be interpreted as indicating a host preference — any 

 convenient object can serve as a resting perch. Nearly all ecological 

 notes on specimens, including all immatures, associate these insects 

 with Opuntia cactuses, some specimens being labelled from 0. 

 engelmannii specifically. The only exception was a series of four 

 adults taken on May 18 from "castor beans" at Brownsville, Tex. 

 These specimens were also a little shorter than the minimum figure 

 given in the key, measuring 4.5 to 4.7 mm. 



The data cited below show two periods of adult occurrence in 

 Texas: April 12 to June 3 and later from September 5 to November 13. 

 In contrast, the several Mexican specimens were taken during the 

 intermediate summer period in July and August. Whether this 

 timing is real or an artifact resulting from too few records will be 

 decided only by more collecting in the appropriate areas. 



Distribution: 133 specimens examined. UNITED STATES: 

 Texas: Apr. 12-June 3, Sept. 5-Nov. 28; Austin, Bastrop, Browns- 

 ville, Calvert, Cameron, Corpus Christi, D'Hanis, Garner State Park, 

 Hebbronville, Hondo, Laredo, Live Oak County, Luxello, Nueces, 

 San Antonio, San Diego, Seguin, Sharpsburg, Uvalde, Victoria. 

 MEXICO: San Luis Potosi: July; El Salto; Tamaulipas: July; 

 Tampico; Vera Cruz: August; Cordoba, Jalapa. 



Hesperolabops mexica, new species 



Figures 6, 11-16 



The wholly fuscous hemelytra coupled with the calli being darkened 

 only laterally and not dorsally will permit recognition of this species. 

 The male is recognizable on characters of the genital capsule by the 

 combination of no small slender hook laterad of the long, slender 

 process on the posterodorsal angle and no hook at the apex of the 

 right clasper. 



Holotype male: length 7.05 mm; width across combined hemelytra 

 2.70 mm. 



Head: dark red, strongly tumid frons (fig. 6) blackened; width 

 across eyes 1.23 mm, between eyes 0.75 mm, between bases of eye 

 stalks 0.25 mm; labium reaching to apex of fourth abdominal sternite, 

 segments i-iv measuring 0.91, 1.00, 0.31, 0.26 mm respectively; 

 antennae black, densely and finely pubescent, segments i-rv measuring 



248 337 —67 2 



