6 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. 123 



0.70, 1.74, 0.78, 0.56 (shrivelled) mm respectively. Pronotum: 

 length 1.04 mm, width 1.94 mm; dorsal surface, including calli dorsally 

 and broad central part of collar, orange red; deflexed lateral parts, 

 except rounded impressions, and usually vertical lateral face of 

 prominent calli fuscous to black; disc coarsely and closely punctate 

 posterior to calli; each callus connected to collar by two ridges, a 

 small oblique one near inner end and a longitudinal one at midwidth. 

 Scutellum black with four basal impressions and mesoscutum red; 

 surface not polished. 



Hemelytra dull, opaque, fuscous, sometimes with bluish reflections; 

 surface, except membrane, with numerous coarse, very shallow and 

 obscure punctures, each bearing a short, fine, light bristle. Mem- 

 brane and veins black, with a single large cell. 



Ventral surface dark red, blackened on meso- and metapleura 

 (except in rounded impressed areas) and along sides of abdomen. 

 Legs, including tarsi, brownish to black; tarsi widening to apex. 



Holotype male: Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico, August 1963, F. D. 

 Bennett, Opuntia tomentosa (USNM type 67965). Allotype female: 

 Guanajuato, Mexico, Oct. 14, 1926, Mortensen, on Opuntia. Para- 

 types: three males (one missing head and prothorax) with same data 

 as holotype; Morelia, Michoacan, Mexico, Oct. 19, 1926, Mortensen, 

 on Opuntia, one male and two females (USNM and collection of F. D. 

 Bennett). 



The entire series is quite uniform, except that on old and teneral 

 specimens the legs and hemelytra tend to be noticeably paler than on 

 fresh, well-sclerotized individuals. 



The species name is from "Mexica," an alternate name for the 

 Aztec Indians, whose role in the area whence these specimens came 

 was very great. 



Hesperolabops nigriceps Reuter, new status 



Figures 17-21 

 Hesperolabops gelastops var. nigriceps Reuter, 1908, p. 152. 



The uniformly fuscous hemelytra coupled with the distinct blacken- 

 ing of part or all of the dorsal surface of the calli separate H. nigriceps 

 from the other species of the genus. Males can be recognized by 

 modifications of the genital capsule, the character easiest to use being 

 the presence of a small hook laterad of the base of the long process 

 on the posterodorsal angle. 



No type material of this species was examined; however, the de- 

 scription of the single type specimen, credited with being in the 

 Vienna Naturhistorisches Museum, commented upon the unicolorous 

 dark hemelytra and the infuscate calli and left no doubt about apply- 

 ing the name to this form. 



