Hemipeplus egregius Arrow, 1930

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 : 58-59

Hemipeplus egregius Arrow, 1930

(Figs 26, 63)

Hemipeplus egregius Arrow, 1930: 227 , Fig. l.— Scott 1933: 607; Schenkling 1934: 1; Kamiya 1963: 14; Pollock 1997: 85, Figs 1 , 10, 12, 21.

Type Material. Holotype, female, labeled: ‘[round label with red margin] Type / [card with glass cover slip and dissected female ovipositor] Hemipeplus egregius Arrow. TYPE. ♀ V. ovipos. / “Germ” E. Africa Kilindi. 15.iv.14. / Pres, by Imp.Bur.Ent. Brit.Mus. 1923-383. / Hemipeplus egregius , type Arrow / [red label] HOLOTYPE Hemipeplus egregius Arrow exam. D.A. Pollock ’95 / [with a barcode] NHMUK 014663478’, in BMNH.

Other Material Examined. SOUTH AFRICA. KwaZulu-Natal. Southbroom , 24.vii.1933, ( NHMB, 1♂) (Fig. 26) . Limpopo. Tvl. Hans Merensky Nat. Res. , 23.42S 30.44E. 23–25.i.1987, R. Oberprieler leg. , leaves of Phoenix reclinata , ( BMNH, 1). MALAWI. Chiromo. R. C. Wood leg. , Pres. by Imp. Inst. Ent. B.M. 1936–27, ( BMNH, 1) .

Diagnosis. Hemipeplus egregius can be distinguished by its large strongly convex eyes, lack of temples, acutely produced pronotal angles, prominent pronotal lobe, and dark brown color. Hemipeplus egregius has the following diagnostic features: temples absent or not prominent; scape submoniliform; eyes large (longer than scape + pedicel), very wide and strongly convex; pronotum subcordiform, wide and flat with a distinct anterior emargination; pronotum strongly sinuate laterally, anterior half strongly produced; anterolateral angles acutely rounded; pronotal pad absent; posterolateral angles acute; pronotal lobe prominent with a deep median notch; scutellar shield U shaped, slightly wider than long; elytra more or less flat; color uniformly testaceous to rufotestaceous; distribution: southern Somalia to South Africa (Natal) ( Pollock 1997).

Male Genitalia (Figs 26D–F). (Tegmen length = 0.62 mm (n = 1)) Lobe of basale short, thick, and wide, apically dilated; shoulders very slanted and not angulate; apicale and basale fused without a distinct suture; parameres short, narrowed basally, widened apically with short, narrowed, blunt tips; penis longer than tegmen.

Geographical Distribution (Fig. 63). Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, Tanzania ( Pollock 1997).

Natural History. According to specimen label data and Pollock (1997), H. egregius adults are associated with Coconut Palm ( Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cham.) Glassman ) ( Arecaceae ) and Phoenix reclinata Jacq. ( Arecaceae ).

FIGURE 26. Hemipeplus egregius Arrow, 1930 . A. Dorsal habitus (with scale bar); B. Dorsal head and prothorax C. Lateral view of head and prothorax; D. Male genitalia dorsal view without spiculum gastrale; E. Tegmen dorsal view (with scale bar); F. Tegmen lateral view with one paramere removed.

Figures

FIGURE 1. A. Measurements taken of Hemipeplinae specimens. GHW = greatest head width; HL= head length; GPW = greatest pronotum width; PL = pronotum length; GEW = greatest combined elytral width; EL = elytral length; B. Dorsal habitus of Hemipeplus microphthalmus, showing important anatomical features; C. Ventral habitus of Hemipeplus microphthalmus, showing important anatomical features; D. Male genitalia of Hemipeplus africanus, showing important anatomical features.