Hemipeplus rodericensis Scott, 1933

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 : 61-62

Hemipeplus rodericensis Scott, 1933

(Figs 28, 63)

Hemipeplus rodericensis Scott, 1933: 604 , Figs 1 –3.— Crowson 1955: 116, Fig. 137; Kamiya 1963: 14; Pollock 1997: 88, Figs 4, 15.

Type Material. Holotype, sex unknown, labeled: ‘[round label with red margin] Type H. T. / Rodrigues 1. viii-xi, 1918, H.J. Snell and H.P. Thomasset, / [label upside down] Brit. Mus. 1933-349. / Hemipeplus rodericensis H. Scott TYPE. / [red label] HOLOTYPE Hemipeplus rodericensis Scott exam. D.A. Pollock ’95 / [with a barcode] NHMUK014663479 ’, in BMNH. Twenty-three paratypes: 8 males, 6 females, 9 sex unknown, labeled same as holotype, in BMNH (Fig. 28) .

Diagnosis. Hemipeplus rodericensis can be distinguished by its elongate subquadriform pronotum and dark brown, flat, and elongate body. Hemipeplus rodericensis has the following diagnostic features: temples broad and rounded; scape subcylindrical and externally angulate on one side; eyes moderately large (as long as scape + pedicel), wide and convex; pronotum subquadriform, longer than wide to as long as wide with flat disc; laterals subparallel; anterior half about as wide as posterior half with deep anterior notch in center; anterolateral angles indistinct, rounded; pronotal pad indistinct; posterolateral angles obtuse; pronotal lobe prominent and rounded without median notch; scutellar shield broadly convex, transverse, more than twice as wide as long; body wide and long; elytra flat; color uniformly dark brown, shiny; distribution: Rodrigues Island ( Mauritius).

Male Genitalia (Figs 28D–F). (Tegmen length = 0.83 mm (n = 1)) Lobe of basale short, wide, and rounded; shoulders very slanted and not angulate; apicale and basale fused without a distinct suture; parameres very long and straight; apices slightly wider than rest of the apical halves with narrowed blunt tips; penis slightly longer than tegmen, tapered at the apex.

Remarks. Hemipeplus rodericensis is thought to be closely related to H. hemipterus and H. abditus from the New World based on similarities in structure of pronotum and male genitalia.

Geographical Distribution (Fig. 63). Rodrigues Island ( Mauritius).

Natural History. Hemipeplus rodericensis is associated with Pandanus Parkinson ( Pandanaceae ) species (Screw Pines) ( Scott 1933; Pollock 1997).

FIGURE 28. Hemipeplus rodericensis Scott, 1933 (Paratype). A. Dorsal habitus (with scale bar); B. Dorsal head and prothorax; C. Lateral view of head and prothorax; D. Male genitalia dorsal view with 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.