Hemipeplus abditus 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 : 20-22

Hemipeplus abditus Pollock, 1999

(Figs 4, 61)

Hemipeplus abditus Pollock, 1999: 60 , Figs 1D , 4D, 13.

Type Material. Holotype, female, labeled: ‘ MEXICO, Tam., Hwy 101 11 mi. SW. Cd. Victoria, 4000’ 22 July 1982 C.W. & L. O’Brien & G. Wibmer / UNAM / [red label] HOLOTYPE Hemipeplus abditus Pollock D.A. Pollock 1997 ’, in UNAM. Two paratypes, labeled: ‘ MEX. Qto. 14 mi. E. Landa de Matamoros , V-26-1974, C.W. & L. O’Brien & GB Marshall / [blue label] PARATYPE Hemipeplus abditus Pollock’, in DAPC (Fig. 4) .

Other Material Examined. MEXICO. Tamaulipas. Hwy 101 11 mi. SW. Cd. Victoria, 4000 ft., 22.vii.1982, C.W. & L. O’Brien & G. Wibmer leg., ( DAPC, 1♂) .

Diagnosis. Hemipeplus abditus can be distinguished from the similar-appearing H. hemipterus (Fig. 3.1) by the presence of short, angulate temples and a darker coloration. Hemipeplus abditus has the following diagnostic features: temples short and angulate but distinct; scape elongate; eyes large (as long as the scape), moderately wide, and moderately convex; pronotum elongate with anterior emargination slightly shallower than in H. hemipterus ; anterior half only slightly wider than posterior half; anterolateral angles indistinct, rounded; pronotal pad more distinctly raised than in H. hemipterus ; posterolateral angles obtuse, slightly angulate; pronotal lobe short with median notch; scutellar shield subpentagonal, transverse, not twice as wide as long; elytra very flat, truncate at the apices exposing most of the last visible abdominal tergite; color brown with darker head and pronotum; distribution: Mexico (Queretaro and Tamaulipas).

FIGURE 4. Hemipeplus abditus Pollock, 1999 (Paratype). A. Dorsal habitus (with scale bar); B. Dorsal head and prothorax; C. Lateral view of head and prothorax; D. Tegmen dorsal view (with scale bar); E. Tegmen lateral view with one paramere removed.

Male Genitalia (Figs 4D–E). (Tegmen length = 0.96–0.98 mm (n = 2)) Very similar to those of H. hemipterus , except that the shoulders of the basale are more angulate, and the parameres are straighter in lateral view, whereas those of H. hemipterus are more sinuate.

Remarks. Since the genitalia are not very distinct from those of H. hemipterus , H. abditus might be a Mexican subspecies of H. hemipterus ; signs of temples also appear in some specimens of H. hemipterus , although they are not angulate. However, Pollock (1999) suggested that these two species are sympatric. Analysis of DNA of these two species could produce a more accurate result. For now, we treat H. abditus as a valid species, given the consistent morphological differences in all examined specimens.

Geographical Distribution (Fig. 61). Mexico (Queretaro and Tamaulipas) .

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.