1889.] 271 



NOTES ON TWO CAPSIDM ATTACKING- THE CINCHONA 

 PLANTATIONS IN SIKKIM. 



BY E. BERGROTH, M.D., E.E.S. 



Mr. E. T. Atkinson, of Calcutta, has forwarded to me for identi- 

 fication a number of specimens of a Capsid, stated to have been 

 noxious to the Cinchona plantations in Sikkim. The insect is described 

 by Walker from a mutilated Malaccan specimen in the British Museum 

 under the name of Monalonion liumerale. It does not belong, however, 

 to the American genus Monalonion, H.-S., but to the genus Disphinc- 

 tus, Stal, four species of which are described from the Philippine 

 Islands. There can be no doubt that Monalonion politum from Borneo 

 and divisum from Ternate, both described by Walker, also belong to 

 the same genus. Disphinctus Jmmeralis,~WaXk., chiefly attacks Cinchona 

 calisaya, but also a hybrid between C. succiruhra and officinalis. I 

 think Mr. Atkinson will publish a more complete account of the insect 

 and its habitat. 



Among the Disphinctus there was also a fine new species of the 

 remarkable genus Helopeltis, Sign. (Aspicehis, Costa), of which I give 

 the following description : — 



Helopeltis eebkiculosa, n. sp. 



Nigro et flavido-varia, oblong a, nitida, hemelytris subcinereis, cornu 

 scutellari subrecto. Long., $ , sine hemelytr., 5 mm., cum hemelytr.,fere 

 8 mm. 



Patria, Sikkim ; habitat in Cinchona calisaya, rarissime in C. suc- 

 cirubra. 



Caput nigrum, vitta laterali longitudinali sub oculis percurrente lutea notatum ; 

 "ahtennarum articulo primo apicem scutelli paullo superante, sordide piceo, nigro- 

 irrorato, basi luteo, apice incrassato, articulo secundo primo fere dimidio longiore, 

 lineari, nigro, apice levissime eubcapitulatim incrassato ; rostro coxas posticas fere 

 superante, luteo, hie et illic picescente, prsesertim apicem versus parce tenuiter piloso, 

 articulo secundo primo paullo longiore, tertio secundo breviore, quarto tertio evi- 

 denter longiore. Thorax superne luteo-flavus, fascia transversa basali in medio 

 antrorsum magis extensa ac vitta transversa paullo ante apicem sita nigris signatus. 

 Scutellum nigrum, utrinque ad basin cornus macula lutescente notatum, cornu longi- 

 tudine thoracem eequante, erecto, tantum levissime rursum redunco, nigro, subcapi- 

 tulum picescente, hoc apice horizontaliter truncate. Eemora nodulosa, piceo-lutea, 

 nigro-conspersa, anticis prope basin annulo pallide fiavido notatis ; tibia? breviter 

 subhispide pilosellse, luteee, nigro-adspersse ; tarsi nigri. Abdomen parte basali 

 subvirescenti-albidum, parte apicali nigrum, colore pallido in ventre a basi usque ad 

 apicem segmenti penultimi ventralis extenso, segmento ultimo ventrali et segmentis 

 genitalibus itaque nigris ; in dorso abdominis color niger prsecipue in medio segmen- 



