Hemipeplus neoaustralicus 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 : 104-106

Hemipeplus neoaustralicus KC & Pollock , sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:EBDEF5C9-85CD-4B38-ADD4-54C2B6C83F37

(Figs 47, 64)

Type Material. Holotype, male, labeled: ‘ AUSTRALIA: Northern Terr. ,25kmWStuart Hwy on Van Arnham [Arnhem] Hwy., 25-IX-1992, D.H. Habeck on palm flowers / [green label] ♂ / [red label] HOLOTYPE ♂ Hemipeplus neoaustralicus KC & Pollock’, in FSCA . Paratype: 1 specimen, sex unknown, labeled same as holotype, in FSCA .

Derivation of Specific Epithet. The specific name (adjective in the nominative case, in gender agreement with substantive) is given in allusion to the species’ type locality, Australia.

Diagnosis. Hemipeplus neoaustralicus sp. nov. is the only Australian species with temples and dark brown body. Hemipeplus neoaustralicus sp. nov. has the following diagnostic features: temples short and rounded which are rather extensions due to large eyes and short occiput; scape short and moniliform, apically dilated and externally produced on one side; eyes large (longer than scape + pedicel), wide and convex; pronotum subcordiform with flat disc; anterior emargination wide; anterior half much wider than posterior half, and produced; pronotal pad narrow but distinct; anterior pronotal angles narrowly rounded, posterior angles obtuse, angulate; pronotal lobe slight but wide and arcuate with indistinct median notch; body long and flat; color dull, uniformly dark brown; distribution: Australia (Northern Territory).

Description. Measurements (in mm)—GHW: 0.78–0.88; HL: 0.61–0.70; AL: 1.01–1.12; GPW: 0.88–0.95; PL: 0.65–0.72, GEW: 1.03–1.23; EL: 3.15–3.47; TL:4.41–4.89.

Head (Fig. 47B) wide (GHW/HL: 1.26–1.28); eyes large (longer than scape + pedicel), wide and convex; temples short and rounded which are rather extensions due to large eyes and short occiput; occiput with raised areas; antennae shorter than head and pronotum length combined; antennal scape moniliform, apically dilated, externally produced on one side; pedicel small moniliform; antennomere III more elongate and apically dilated; IV–V shorter and moniliform, apically dilated; VI–X subtriangular or bowl shaped, each wider than the next; XI subpyriform with apex narrowed after the notch; lateral mandibular tooth absent. Pronotum (Fig. 47B) wide (GPW/PL: 1.32–1.35) with flat disc; anterior margin with moderately wide emargination; anterolateral angles narrowly rounded, strongly produced; lateral margins sinuate; posterior half contracted; posterolateral angles obtuse, somewhat angulate and produced; pronotal lobe small but wide and arcuate with faint median notch; pronotal pad (Fig. 47C) distinct and narrow; pronotal pits deep with prominent elliptical grooves. Scutellar shield subpentagonal, transverse, less than twice as wide as long. Elytra (Fig. 47A) long (EL/GEW: 2.82–3.06) and flat; vestiture short and dense; apical patch wide, darker than elytra. Ventral surface. Prosternal process moderate, extending to mid length of procoxae; hypomeral edges well separated; mesosternal process narrow and linear. Color dull, uniformly dark brown; ventrally hypomera, mesanepisterna, and mesepimera slightly darker.

FIGURE 47. Hemipeplus neoaustralicus 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 with spiculum gastrale; E. Tegmen dorsal view (with scale bar); F. Tegmen lateral view with one paramere removed.

Male Genitalia (Figs 47D–F). (Tegmen length = 0.27 mm (n = 1)) Lobe of basale long and slim with pointed apex; shoulders obtusely angled, moderately slanted; apicale and basale with distinct suture; parameres strongly arcuate with tips blunt; penis longer than tegmen. The genitalia are similar to those of other Australian species but the parameres are significantly expanded laterally, or arcuate.

Geographical Distribution (Fig. 64). Australia (Northern Territory).

Natural History. According to specimen label data, H. neoaustralicus sp. nov. was found associated with palm flowers ( Arecaceae ).