Hemipeplus heisenbergi, KC & Pollock, 2025

Kc, Sajan & Pollock, Darren A., 2025, Review of the Hemipeplinae (Coleoptera: Mycteridae) fauna of the world with descriptions of twenty-nine new species, Zootaxa 5574 (1), pp. 1-140 : 132-136

Hemipeplus heisenbergi sp. nov. “obscure form”

(Figs 60.3, 64)

Material Examined. 1 specimen, male, labeled: ‘ INDONESIA: E. New Guinea, Papua Prov., Star Mountains , Oksibil N, 4°54’01’’S, 140°38’48’’E, 1350-1380 m, 10.III.2018, gardens & secondary lower montane rainforest on limestone, leg. D. Telnov’, in BMNH (Fig. 60.3) .

Diagnosis. Hemipeplus heisenbergi sp. nov. “obscure form” can be distinguished from the typical form of H. heisenbergi by its slenderer appearance. Hemipeplus heisenbergi sp. nov. “obscure form” has the following diagnostic features: temples very short and roundish but prominent in contrast to its small eyes; scape moniliform, apically dilated; eyes small (only slightly longer than the scape), shallow and less convex; pronotum subcordiform; anterior emargination deep, and prominent; anterior half wider than posterior half; pronotal pad indistinct; pronotal angles rounded; pronotal lobe indistinct, but with median notch; body long; elytra slightly convex; color dull, uniformly piceous with appendages rufopiceous; distribution: New Guinea (Papua: Star Mountains).

Description. Measurements (in mm)—GHW: 0.65; HL: 0.63; AL: 1.20; GPW: 0.65; PL: 0.57; GEW: 0.87; EL: 3.17; TL: 4.37.

Head (Fig. 60.3B) wide (GHW/HL: 1.03) eyes small (only slightly longer than the scape), shallow and less convex; temples very short and roundish; occiput with strongly raised areas; antennae subequal to head and pronotum length combined; antennal scape moniliform, apically dilated (not externally produced on one side); pedicel small moniliform; antennomere III more elongate and apically dilated; IV smaller, submoniliform; V slightly larger, submoniliform, apically dilated; VI–X subtriangular or bowl shaped, each wider than the next; XI subpyriform with apex narrowed after the notch; lateral mandibular tooth absent. Pronotum (Fig. 60.3B) wide (GPW/PL: 1.14), subcordiform; anterior margin with distinct emargination; anterolateral angles rounded, slightly produced; lateral margins sinuate; posterior half contracted; posterolateral angles slightly obtuse, rounded; pronotal lobe almost absent but with faint median notch; pronotal pad (Fig. 60.3C) indistinct; pronotal pits shallow without well-developed grooves, disc very rough with wide punctures and grooves. Scutellar shield transverse, elliptical, about twice as wide as long. Elytra (Fig. 60.3A) long (EL/GEW: 3.64), slightly convex; vestiture long and dense; apical patch present but not well visible owing to piceous elytra. Ventral surface. Prosternal process short, not extending posterior of procoxae; hypomeral edges narrowly separated; mesosternal process narrow and linear. Color dull, uniformly piceous with appendages rufopiceous.

Male Genitalia (Figs 60. 3D–F). (Tegmen length = 0.33 mm (n = 1)) Lobe of basale short, slender with blunt apex; shoulders obtusely angled, slightly slanted; apicale and basale with distinct suture; parameres entirely arcuate, tips blunt; penis longer than tegmen with pointed apex.

Remarks. Hemipeplus heisenbergi sp. nov. “obscure form” resembles typical H. heisenbergi sp. nov. in many aspects but is still morphologically distinct in terms of pronotum size, body color, punctures on body surface, and long vestiture. It is listed separately from H. heisenbergi sp. nov. because it might prove to be a distinct species if further research is done with more specimens. Alternatively, it might only be an aberration since the basic characters, such as the size of eyes, temples, and pronotal pad, are about the same. The male genitalia are similar (even the length). For now, it is treated merely as a form of H. heisenbergi sp. nov. Although not explicitly stated on the specimen data label, they appear to be sympatric since the typical form is widespread in New Guinea.

Geographical Distribution (Fig. 64). Indonesia (Papua: Star Mountains).

Natural History. According to specimen label data, the single specimen of H. heisenbergi sp. nov. “obscure form” was collected from gardens and secondary lower montane rainforest on limestone.

FIGURE 60. 3. Hemipeplus heisenbergi sp. nov. “ obscure form”. A. Dorsal habitus (with scale bar); B. Dorsal head and prothorax; C. Lateral view of head and prothorax; D. Male genitalia dorsal view (left paramere damaged) without spiculum gastrale; E. Tegmen dorsal view (with scale bar); F. Tegmen lateral view with one paramere removed.

FIGURE 61. Distribution Map of North and Central American Hemipeplinae species.

FIGURE 62. Distribution Map of South American Hemipeplinae species.

FIGURE 63. Distribution Map of Afrotropical Hemipeplinae species.

Repositories of primary types designated in this study:

Neotype:

H. hemipterus : FSCA

Lectotype:

H. australicus : BMNH; H. nuciferae : BMNH

Holotypes of spp. nov.:

Eurypeplus quadrimaculatus : MNHN; H. anishae : BMNH; H. antennatus : BPBM; H. belizensis : BMNH; H. brasiliensis : BMNH; H. bromineus : SMNS; H. bucculentus : BPBM; H. craigi : BPBM; H. enarotaliensis : BPBM; H. exhaustus : BPBM; H. gressitti : BPBM; H. harkoneni : ZMHB; H. heisenbergi : BPBM; H. joerebeccae : ZMHB; H. labuanensis : BPBM; H. luzonensis : BPBM; H. manusicus : BPBM; H. monteithi : UQIC; H. neoaustralicus : FSCA; H. neoguineensis : BPBM; H. nigerrimus : ZMHB; H. palawanensis : BPBM; H. philippinensis : BPBM; H. pollocki : ASU; H. pseudoklematanicus : BMNH; H. pseudoquadricollis : FSCA; H. rugosus : FSCA; H. saymyname : BPBM; H. sinensis : NHMB

FIGURE 64. Distribution Map of Australian and Oceanian Hemipeplinae species.

FIGURE 65. Distribution Map of Oriental Hemipeplinae species.