Hemipeplus exhaustus 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 : 109-111

Hemipeplus exhaustus KC & Pollock , sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F0419374-D5A9-436A-9F7D-032C214199EE

(Figs 50, 64)

Type Material. Holotype, male, labeled: ‘ NEW GUINEA: NE. Madang. 5 m. Oct. 22, 1958 / J. L. Gressitt Collector / Palm / [light green label] BPBM / [red label] HOLOTYPE ♂ Hemipeplus exhaustus KC & Pollock’ , in BPBM. One paratype, female, labeled: ‘ NEW GUINEA: NE. Madang, 5 m. Oct. 28, 1958 / J. L. Gressitt Collector / Palm’, in BPBM .

Derivation of Specific Epithet. The specific name (adjective in the nominative case, in gender agreement with substantive) is given in allusion to the sheer exhaustion the first author had while describing tens of obscure species of Hemipeplinae .

Diagnosis. Hemipeplus exhaustus sp. nov. can be distinguished by its large eyes, short, rounded temples, and rufotestaceous color. It resembles H. enarotaliensis sp. nov. (Fig. 51) (similar genitalia) but is distinctly smaller in body size with eyes distinctly larger resembling those of H. neoguineensis sp. nov. (Fig. 37B) (similar genitalia); however, unlike H. neoguineensis sp. nov., H. exhaustus sp. nov. has temples. Hemipeplus exhaustus sp. nov. has the following diagnostic features: temples short and roundish; scape submoniliform, slightly elongate, apically dilated; eyes large (as long as scape + pedicel + antennomere III), wide and convex; pronotum subcordiform; anterior emargination shallow but distinct; anterior half much wider than posterior half; pronotal pad narrow, distinct; pronotal angles rounded; pronotal lobe truncate without median notch; body long; elytra slightly convex; color dull, uniformly rufotestaceous; distribution: Papua New Guinea (Madang).

FIGURE 50. Hemipeplus exhaustus sp. nov. (Holotype). 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.

Description. Measurements (in mm)—GHW: 0.53–0.55; HL: 0.50–0.53; AL: 0.79–0.80; GPW: 0.55; PL: 0.45–0.48, GEW: 0.70; EL: 2.26; TL: 3.21–3.27.

Head (Fig. 50B) wide (GHW/HL: 1.04–1.06); eyes large (as long as scape + pedicel + antennomere III), wide and convex; temples short and rounded; occiput with raised areas; antennae shorter than head and pronotum length combined; antennal scape submoniliform, slightly elongate, apically dilated; pedicel small moniliform; antennomere III more elongate and apically dilated; IV shorter and moniliform, apically dilated; V–X subtriangular or bowl shaped, each wider than the next; XI subpyriform with apex narrowed after the notch; lateral mandibular tooth absent. Pronotum (Fig. 50B) wide (GPW/PL: 1.15–1.22); anterior margin with shallow but distinct emargination; anterolateral angles rounded, produced; lateral margins sinuate; posterior half sharply contracted; posterolateral angles obtuse, rounded; pronotal lobe truncate without median notch; pronotal pad (Fig. 50C) distinct; pronotal pits moderately deep with moderate grooves. Scutellar shield subhexagonal, transverse, about twice as wide as long. Elytra (Fig. 50A) long (EL/GEW: 3.23), slightly convex; vestiture short and dense; apical patch long and slightly darker than the elytra. Ventral surface. Prosternal process short, not extending posterior of procoxae; hypomeral edges fused; mesosternal process narrow and linear. Color dull, uniformly rufotestaceous.

Male Genitalia (Figs 50D–F). (Tegmen length = 0.25 mm (n = 1)) Lobe of basale short and slender with rounded apex; shoulders obtusely angled with moderate slant; apicale and basale with distinct suture; parameres arcuate with tips blunt; penis longer than tegmen. The genitalia are similar to those of H. australicus .

Remarks. Hemipeplus exhaustus sp. nov., similar to H. enarotaliensis sp. nov. and H. neoguineensis sp. nov., is closely related to the Australian species in terms of male genitalia morphology, suggesting possible common ancestry.

Geographical Distribution (Fig. 64). Papua New Guinea (Madang).

Natural History. According to specimen label data, H. exhaustus sp. nov. is associated with palms ( Arecaceae ).