Hemipeplus thomasi Pollock, 1999

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 : 45-48

Hemipeplus thomasi Pollock, 1999

(Figs 20, 61)

Hemipeplus thomasi Pollock, 1999: 63 , Figs 2B, 5B, 12.

Type Material. Holotype, sex unknown, only images sent from NMNH, labeled: ‘ex VILLA GONZALEZ TAMP. MEX. / with SABAL SP. fronds / at PROGRESSO #1219 / 11. II.74 74.12763 / Hemipeplus n.sp. 1 Det. M.C. Thomas 1991 / NMNH / [purple blank label] / [red blank label] / [red label] HOLOTYPE [in Pollock’s handwriting] Hemipeplus thomasi Pollock [printed] D.A. Pollock 1997 / [with a barcode] USNMENT, 01595476’, in NMNH.

Other Material Examined. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Texas. Cameron Co. Sabal Palm Grove Ref. (Site 9) 25.85092°N 97.41604°W 21.ix.2008, E.G. Riley-111 leg., re-vegetated area, ( TAMU, 1♀); same locality, (Site 10) 25.84964°N 97.41798°W 5.vi.2010, E.G. Riley-2100 leg., palm forest beating etc., ( TAMU, 1♂) (Fig. 20) .

FIGURE 19. Hemipeplus gounellei Grouvelle, 1896 (Paralectotype). A. Dorsal habitus (with scale bar); B. Dorsal head and prothorax; C. Lateral view of head and prothorax.

FIGURE 20. Hemipeplus thomasi Pollock, 1999 . 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.

Diagnosis. Hemipeplus thomasi can be distinguished from the similar-appearing H. pollocki sp. nov. (Fig. 21)

by its rufopiceous color and duller appearance. Hemipeplus thomasi distantly resembles H. chaos (Fig. 15) but the latter has the anterolateral pronotal margin less produced, much larger eyes, and pronotal lobe much less significant without median notch. Hemipeplus thomasi has the following diagnostic features: temples moderate, rounded; scape submoniliform; eyes large (longer than scape + pedicel), moderately wide and moderately convex; pronotum subcordiform, wide with deep anterior emargination in center; anterolateral angles strongly produced, broadly rounded; pronotal pad not distinct or significantly raised; posterolateral angles obtuse, rounded; pronotal lobe not very distinct but with median notch; body wide and elongate; elytra flat; color rufous with darker elytra; distribution: Mexico (Tamaulipas), USA (Texas: Cameron Co.).

Re-description. Measurements (in mm)—GHW: 0.85–0.90; HL: 0.85–0.96; AL: 1.28–1.40; GPW: 0.98–1.03; PL: 0.80–0.83; GEW: 1.26–1.33; EL: 4.36–4.64; TL: 6.01–6.43.

Head (Fig. 20B) slightly longer than wide (GHW/HL: 0.94–1.00); eyes large (longer than scape + pedicel), moderately wide and moderately convex; temples, short and round; occiput without much raised areas; antennae shorter than head and pronotum length combined; antennal scape short, submoniliform, apically dilated, and produced externally on one side; pedicel small moniliform; antennomere III more elongate and apically dilated; IV shorter, moniliform, apically dilated; V rounder, apically dilated; VI–X subtriangular or bowl shaped, each wider than the next; XI subpyriform with apex narrowed after median notch; lateral mandibular tooth absent. Pronotum (Fig. 20B) wide (GPW/PL: 1.23–1.24); anterior margin with deep median emargination; anterolateral angles rounded and strongly produced; lateral margins sinuate; posterior half contracted; posterolateral angles obtuse and rounded, very slightly produced; pronotal lobe slight with median notch; pronotal pad (Fig. 20C) not significant; pronotal pits deep with significant elliptical grooves. Scutellar shield subpentagonal to subhexagonal with convex anterior margin, transverse, less than twice as wide as long. Elytra (Fig. 20A) elongate (EL/GEW: 3.46–3.49) and flat; vestiture short and dense; apical patch long and rufous (not visible on rufous elytra) to rufopiceous. Ventral surface. Prosternal process short, not extending to the posterior of procoxae; hypomeral edges widely separated; mesosternal process narrow and linear. Color rufous with weak piceous shades on elytra; about uniformly rufous ventrally.

Male Genitalia (Figs 20D–F). (Tegmen length = 0.58 mm (n = 1)) Lobe of basale short, slender with a clubbed apex; shoulders slanted, obtusely rounded; apicale and basale with distinct suture; parameres with strongly arcuate apices; penis broad, expanded near basal half and reduced at the apex, forming a wedge-shaped tip, length subequal to tegmen.

Geographical Distribution (Fig. 61). Mexico (Tamaulipas), USA (Texas: Cameron Co.) (new country record).

Natural History. According to specimen label data, H. thomasi has been found associated with Sabal palmetto ; adults have been collected by beating in palm-forest and re-vegetated area(s).