Hemipeplus bucculentus 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 : 92-93

Hemipeplus bucculentus KC & Pollock , sp. nov.

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(Figs 41, 65)

FIGURE 41. Hemipeplus bucculentus sp. nov. (Holotype). A. Dorsal habitus (with scale bar); B. Dorsal head and prothorax; C. Lateral view of head and prothorax.

Type Material. Holotype, female, labeled: ‘ LAOS: Vientiane Prov. Ban Van Eue, 15.V.1966 / Native Collector RONDON-- BISHOP MUS. COLLECTION / [green label] BPBM / [blue label] ♀ / [red label] HOLOTYPE ♀ Hemipeplus bucculentus KC & Pollock’, 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 species’ notably wide temples, resembling fat cheeks or a large mouth.

Diagnosis. Hemipeplus bucculentus sp. nov. can be distinguished by its prominent round temples, pronotum produced below anterior axis, and dark color. Hemipeplus bucculentus sp. nov. has the following diagnostic features: temples prominent; scape moniliform, apically dilated, externally produced on one side; eyes small (shorter than scape + pedicel), shallow, and moderately convex; pronotum subcordiform with coarse texture; anterior emargination almost absent; anterior half wider than posterior half slightly below the anterior axis; pronotal pad absent; pronotal angles more or less rounded; pronotal lobe truncate with a hint of median notch; body long; elytra slightly convex; color dull, rufopiceous with darker pronotum; distribution: Laos (Vientiane Province).

Description. Measurements (in mm)—GHW: 0.56; HL: 0.50; AL: 0.92; GPW: 0.53; PL: 0.47; GEW: 0.87; EL: 2.32; TL: 3.29.

Head (Fig. 41B) wide, (GHW/HL: 1.12); eyes small (only slightly shorter than scape + pedicel), shallow, and moderately convex; temples prominent, larger than 1/3 length of eye, broad and rounded; occiput with slight raised areas; antennae about subequal to 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 shorter and moniliform, apically dilated; V–VI elongate, apically dilated; VII more dilated than VI; VIII–X subtriangular or bowl shaped, each wider than the next; XI subpyriform with apex narrowed after the notch; lateral mandibular tooth absent. Pronotum (Fig. 41B) wide (GPW/PL: 1.13); texture very rugose with wide punctures; anterior margin without prominent emargination; anterolateral angles narrowly rounded, produced slightly below the anterior axis; posterior half subparallel laterally, much more contracted than anterior half; posterolateral angles square, rounded, not produced; pronotal lobe truncate with a hint of median notch; pronotal pad absent (Fig. 41C); pronotal pits and grooves around moderate. Scutellar shield elliptical, transverse, about twice as wide as long. Elytra (Fig. 41A) long (EL/GEW: 2.67), slightly convex; vestiture long and moderately dense; apical patch long and piceous. Ventral surface. Prosternal process moderately large and wide, extending mid length of procoxae; hypomeral edges well separated; mesosternal process narrow and linear. Color dull, rufopiceous with darker pronotum; ventrally inner edges of pro- and mesosternum piceous including the median processes; tarsi, labial palpi, glossal sclerite, and galea paler, other parts rufous.

Remarks. Hemipeplus bucculentus sp. nov. is the only known species of Hemipeplinae with pronotum laterally widened near the anterior midpoint and not at the anterolateral angles.

Geographical Distribution (Fig. 65). Laos (Vientiane Province).