Helochares (Hydrobaticus) laevis n. sp.

Figs. 4B, 7J, 10B.

Type material. Holotype (male): “ MEXICO: Chiapas / San Cristobal las Casas / 17-21.vii.1964 / leg. P.J. Spangler ”, “grass chocked stream on edge of town” (USNM).

Paratypes: (5): MEXICO: Chiapas: 20 km NE of San Cristobal de las Casas on road to Tenejapa, Las Ollas, “bog”, 6.iii.1965, leg. D. E. Breedlove (4 females, CAS, SEMC); same data as holotype (1 female, USNM) .

Differential diagnosis. Body size 6.2–6.8 mm. Clypeus dark yellow to orange with the central third darkened to dark brown. Elytra without any detectable serial punctures or striae (Fig. 4B). Abdominal ventrites uniformly dark brown; pubescence dense and evenly distributed, the longest hairs shorter than those on the metaventrite. Aedeagus (Fig. 7J) 2.3-times longer than its greatest width; apex of parameres truncate, with outer corners rounded; inner corners of apex of parameres forming an acute angle; lateral outer margins of parameres parallel along basal two thirds, slightly constricted at two thirds, diverging along apical third; maximum width of aedeagus at basal half, clearly narrower than maximum width of aedeagus at apical half; median lobe with apex gradually tapering to an acute point.

This species is extremely similar to H. politus, with the primary difference being in the form of the aedeagus (Fig. 7J).

Description. In addition to differential diagnosis: pronotum dark brown to black in central half (Fig. 4B). Ground punctation on head and pronotum moderately impressed, slightly less impressed on the elytra.

Distribution. Mexico (Chiapas) (Fig. 10B).

Etymology. Laevis (L), after the smooth elytra which lacks any coarse serial punctures or striae.

Biology. One series was collected in a “bog”, while the other was collected in a “grass chocked stream”.