Hemipeplus chaos Thomas, 1985

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 : 38-40

Hemipeplus chaos Thomas, 1985

(Figs 15, 61)

Hemipeplus chaos Thomas, 1985: 372 .— Schwarz 1878: 360 [as female of H. marginipennis ]; Casey 1884, plate 8, Figs 6d, e-g [as female of H. marginipennis ]; Poole & Gentili 1996: 315; Pollock 1999: 66.

Taxonomic Note. Hemipeplus chaos was described as the female of H. marginipennis by Schwarz (1878) and considered so for more than a century.

Type Material. Holotype, male, in FSCA (Florida, Collier Co.: Naples ); not studied, see Thomas (1985) for details.

Other Material Examined. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Florida. Alachua Co. Hwy 235, 2 mi N. Cross Creek 7.vii.1991, C.M. Mills leg., ( DAPC, 1♂, 1 sex unknown). Collier Co. Collier Seminole St. Park , 9.iii.1989, M.C. Thomas leg., beating, ( DAPC, 1); Immokalee , SW FL REC 10–17.v.2012, Susan Halbert leg., suction trap – middle/short, ( FSCA, 2); same locality , 3–10.v.2012, ( FSCA, 1); same locality , 15.xii.2011 – 22.xii.2011, ( FSCA, 1); same locality , 24–31.v.2012, ( FSCA, 1); same locality , 2.ii.2012 – 9.ii.2012, ( FSCA, 1); same locality , 22–29.ix.2011, ( FSCA, 1); same locality , 21–28.vii.2014, ( FSCA, 1); same locality , 31.v.2012 – 7.vi.2012, ( FSCA, 1); same locality , 3.v.2012 – 10.v.2012, ( FSCA, 1); same locality , 18–25.ix.2014, suction trap, short/open field, ( FSCA, 1). Gulf Co. 3 mi. W. jct. 30-C & 30-E, Cape San Blas , 4.vii.1982, E.G. Riley leg., ( EGRC, 1). Hendry Co. nr. La Belle , 20– 27.viii.2001, N. Terrell leg., suction trap, ( FSCA, 2). Hillsborough Co. Tampa, iv.30.?, ( DAPC, 1); Tampa,?.x.30, D.M. Castie leg., ( DAPC, 1). Miami-Dade Co. Royal Palm Park , 4.i.1930, W.S. Blatchley leg., ( BMNH, 1); same locality, no date, ( BMNH, 9); Biscayne, ( BMNH, 3); Miami, H.C. Fall collection, H. chamaeropis , ( MCZC, 1). Pinellas Co. Dunedin, W.S. Blatchley collection, ( BMNH, 1); Fort de Soto Co. Park 1.vi.1993, R. Andrew leg., beat palmetto, ( DAPC, 1); Ft. de Soto Pk ., 9.vi.1991, R. Morris leg., ( FSCA, 1). Dunedin, H.C. Fall collection, ( MCZC, 1); Dunedin , 3.iv.1923, H.C. Fall collection, ( MCZC, 1); same locality , 3.ii.1918, ( MCZC, 1); Dunedin , 3.iv.1921, W.S.B. leg., ( MCZC, 1); Polk Co. Lake Marion Estates , 17.vi.1995, R. F. Morris II leg., ( FSCA, 1). Putnam Co. Georgetown , iii.1948, C. T. Brues leg., ( MCZC, 1). St. Lucie Co. Ft. Pierce , 2.vii.2002, K. Hibbard leg., under fallen palm frond, ( FSCA, 1). Volusia Co. Enterprise?.v.28, ( DAPC, 1); Enterprise 10.6, F.C. Bowditch collection, ( MCZC, 2); same locality, 3.vi.?, Liebeck collection, ( MCZC, 2); same locality 15.v.?, collection of Fredrick Allen Eddy , Holopeplus chamaeropis Schwarz MS n. sp., ( MCZC, 1). Unknown locality. G. Lewis coll. B.M. 1910— 248, ( BMNH, 1); ( MCZC, 8) . Georgia. Chatham Co. Tybee Is [land], H.C. Fall collection, ( MCZC, 4); Liebeck collection, ( MCZC, 1). Unknown locality. H.C. Fall collection, ( MCZC, 1); gift of F.C. Bowditch, ( MCZC, 2) .

Texas. Cameron Co. Brownsville, ex Tamazunchale SLP. Mexico, on palm frond, ( DAPC, 1) (Fig. 15); Sabal Palm Grove Sanct. , 16.x.1993, Blackmon, Quinn & Riley leg., UV light, ( DAPC, 2); same locality, 8.iv.1994., E.G. Riley leg., ( EGRC, 1) ; same locality, 16.x.1993, Blackmon, Quinn & Riley leg., UV light, ( EGRC, 12; TAMU 7) ; same locality (site 11) 25.85601°N, 97.41726°W, 18.x.2008, E.G. Riley [Riley, Räber & Heffern leg. for 1] leg., beating dead palm fronds or beating open-revegetated area, ( TAMU, 6) ; same locality, 4.iv.2009, E. Riley leg., beating open-revegetated area, ( TAMU, 2) ; same locality (site 10) 25.84964°N, 97.41798°W, 5.vi.2010, E.G. Riley leg., palm forest beating etc., ( TAMU, 24) ; same locality, 29–30.v.2009, Heffern & Räber leg., ( TAMU, 5). MEXICO .

Campeche. 29 km E Xpujil 29.vi.1990, M.C. Thomas leg., ( DAPC, 1); same locality, 19.vi.1990., ( DAPC, 2) . San Luis Potosi. Tamazunchale SLP, ( DAPC, 1) ; Quintana Roo. 3 km N X-Thobil 17.vi.1990, M.C. Thomas leg., beating, ( DAPC, 1); 54 km NW Felipe Carrillo Puerto 17.vi.1990, R. Turnbow [for one] & M.C. Thomas [for one] leg., beating palms [by M.C. Thomas], ( DAPC, 2). Unknown locality. ( DAPC, 1). UNKNOWN LOCALITY. W.S. Blatchley Coll. B.M. 1935–440, ( BMNH, 2); W.G. Dietz collection, ( MCZC, 1); ( MCZC, 2) .

Diagnosis. Hemipeplus chaos can be distinguished among US species by its large wide eyes, short temples, and full elytra. Hemipeplus chaos has the following diagnostic features: temples small to moderate, rounded; scape submoniliform; eyes large (longer than scape + pedicel), wide and convex; pronotum subcordiform, widened anteriorly with a distinct anterior emargination; anterolateral angles produced, broadly rounded; pronotal pad distinct to moderate; posterolateral angles obtuse, rounded; pronotal lobe indistinct without median notch; scutellar shield elliptical, transverse, not twice as wide as long; body elongate; elytra more or less flat; color uniformly testaceous to rufotestaceous; distribution: USA (Florida, Georgia, Texas), Mexico.

Male Genitalia (Figs 15D–F). (Tegmen length = 0.66 mm (n = 1)) Lobe of basale elongate, blunt at the apex; shoulders obtusely angled, barely slanted; apicale and basale with distinct suture; parameres surrounded by lateral sheaths, sinuate, depressed near the bases, arcuate near the apices; apices of parameres sharp; penis subequal to or slightly shorter than tegmen.

Variation. Some specimens have a slightly deeper anterior pronotal emargination than others; the pronotal pad is more distinct in some specimens than others.

Remarks. As mentioned by Pollock (1999), a specimen (also examined in this study) of Hemipeplus chaos from Miami, Florida (MCZC) bears a label ‘ Holopeplus chamaeropis Sz’, presumably a manuscript name. This name has been seen neither in the literature nor on any other examined Hemipeplus specimen.

Geographical Distribution (Fig. 61). Southeast USA (Florida, Georgia) extending west to Texas, and farther south to Mexico .

Natural History. According to Thomas (1985), Pollock (1999), and specimen label data, H. chaos has been found associated with Sabal palmetto ( Arecaceae ). According to Thomas (1985), adults are found in the unopened fronds of Sabal Palm. Pollock (1999) mentioned that the Mexican specimens were obtained from burned Cabbage Palms. Adults have also been collected by sweeping Salicornia at night, beating dead palm fronds, beating in an open-revegetated area, suction traps, and light traps, according to specimen label data.

FIGURE 15. Hemipeplus chaos Thomas, 1985 . A. Dorsal habitus (with scale bar); B. Dorsal head and prothorax C. Lateral view of head and prothorax; D. Genitalia (from different specimen) dorsal view with spiculum gastrale; E. Male tegmen dorsal view (with scale bar); F. Tegmen lateral view with one paramere removed.