Eldarca rufa Reed, 1899 stat. nov. (Figs. 4, 8, 11, 12) Eldarca haematomera var. rufa Reed, 1899: 14 (original description). Material examined. Lectotype (here designated): CHILE: ♀ (USNM: E. C. Reed coll.). Other material: Bío Bío Region: Talcahuano, 1 ♂ (USNM); Laja Laja, 16-I-1987, 2 ♀ (USNM); Araucanía Region: Cordillera Las Raíces, Malleco 1100–1200 m, II-1979, L. E. Peña leg., 3 ♂ 2 ♀ (USNM); Malcahuelo, Malleco, XI-1966, L. E. Peña leg., 1 ♂ (USNM). Diagnosis. General coloration reddish except the antennal segments II to IV and several black patches on the edges of pronotum, scutellum, and abdomen; ventral coloration variable among specimens (Fig. 4); body surrounded dorsally by a white wide line from pronotum to connexiva and ventrally from thorax to abdomen; scutellum with white bands on each side, a medial white line across the head and anterior portion of pronotum, cicatrices with black spots in the mesial limit, spiracles black. Rostrum reaching mesocoxae. Female geniatlia (Fig. 8): 1st gonocoxae rounded anteriorly and very pointed posteriorly, each gonocoxite subrhomboid, paratergites VIII little higher than wider, apex sharpened, paratergites IX nearly rectangular, wider than longer. Male genitalia: pygophore in ventral view pentagonal, truncate in basal half and with a flat dilatation in the posterior edge, lateral margins convex (Fig. 11). Measurements (mm; male mean, female mean follows in parentheses): total length: 9.83 (10.34); pronotum: width 2.22 (3.40), length: 2.42 (2.58); head: width 1.37 (1.90), length: 1.49 (1.58); antennae: I = 0.87, II = 1.07, III = 1.33, IV = 1.45; rostrum: I = 0.91, II = 0.98, III = 0.46, IV = 0.71. Comments. This taxon was erected by Reed (1899) as a variety of E. haematomera from Cauquenes, Maule, Chile. The discovery of the Reed’s type material and newly collected specimens helped to define its taxonomic situation. The general coloration as well as male and female genitalia differs significantly from E. haematomera (see Figs. 4, 8, 11 and 2, 6, 10). In addition, both species differ in distribution (Fig. 12). Thus we believe this taxon deserve full specific rank. The lectotype of this species according to Reed (1899) was collected on Maule Region which is the northern distribution limit of this species.

Published as part of Faúndez, Eduardo I., 2015, Synopsis of the genus Eldarca Signoret, 1864 (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Coreidae), pp. 287-294 in Zootaxa 3915 (2) on pages 291-292, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3915.2.8, http://zenodo.org/record/240832