Hemipeplus anishae KC & Pollock, 2025

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 : 22-25

Hemipeplus anishae KC & Pollock , sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:875C3BED-65A2-468E-A934-F4959D62A47A

(Figs 6, 61)

Type Material. Holotype, female, labeled: ‘ BELIZE: Cayo; Las Cuevas Research Station ; 550m 16°43.99N, 88°59.20W V/20-21/2000 M. Caterino / BMNH {E} 2000- 124 M. Caterino / [blue label] ♀ / [red label] HOLOTYPE ♀ Hemipeplus anishae KC & Pollock’, in BMNH. One paratype, female, labeled same as holotype, in BMNH .

Derivation of Specific Epithet. The specific name (noun in the genitive case) is given in allusion to Anisha Sapkota, wife of the first author.

Diagnosis. Hemipeplus anishae sp. nov. is the only dark and shiny New World species with elongate scape and without temples or pronotal pad. Hemipeplus anishae sp. nov. has the following diagnostic features: temples absent; scape elongate; eyes large (as long as scape + pedicel), wide and strongly convex; pronotum subcordiform with a deep anterior emargination; anterolateral angles produced, broadly rounded; pronotal pad indistinct; posterolateral angles obtusely rounded; pronotal lobe present with median notch; elytra more or less flat; color unevenly rufopiceous, shiny; distribution: Belize (Cayo).

Description. Measurements (in mm)—GHW: 0.85–0.91; HL: 0.80–0.86; AL: 1.21–1.27; GPW: 0.90–0.96; PL: 0.76–0.83; GEW: 1.26–1.33; EL: 4.10–4.50; TL: 5.66–6.19.

FIGURE 5. Hemipeplus glabratus Pollock, 1999 (Paratype). 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.

FIGURE 6. Hemipeplus anishae sp. nov. (Holotype) A. Dorsal habitus (with scale bar); B. Dorsal head and prothorax; C. Lateral view of head and prothorax.

Head (Fig. 6B) wide, (GHW/HL: 1.05–1.06); eyes large (as long as scape + pedicel), wide and strongly convex; temples absent; occiput with raised areas; antennae shorter than head and pronotum length combined; antennal scape elongate (as long as antennomeres II + III) and widened apically; pedicel small, moniliform; antennomeres III–IV elongate and apically dilated; V–X subtriangular, each wider than the next; XI subpyriform with apex narrowed after median notch; lateral mandibular tooth absent. Pronotum (Fig. 6B) wide (GPW/PL: 1.15–1.18); anterior margin with deep emargination; anterolateral angles produced and broadly rounded; lateral margins sinuate; posterior half narrowed; posterolateral angles obtusely rounded, only slightly produced; pronotal lobe significant with a deep median notch; pronotal pad (Fig. 6C) indistinct; pronotal pits deep with prominent oval grooves. Scutellar shield broadly convex, transverse, not twice as wide as long. Elytra (Fig. 6A) elongate (EL/GEW: 3.25–3.38), more or less flat; vestiture inconspicuous; apical patch not visible. Ventral surface. Prosternal process short, not extending to the posterior of procoxae; hypomeral edges widely separated; mesosternal process narrow and linear. Color shiny, unevenly rufopiceous; ventrally rufous with hypomera piceous and margins of abdominal ventrites rufopiceous; legs same color as body with tarsi lighter.

Remarks. The specimens of Hemipeplus anishae sp. nov. were collected from the same location as H. belizensis sp. nov. in Belize.

Geographical Distribution (Fig. 61). Belize (Cayo).