Hemipeplus heisenbergi KC & Pollock, 2025

Hemipeplus heisenbergi KC & Pollock , sp. nov.

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:C7BA823A-951D-4CF2-8A9D-C7040C57AD4E

(Figs 60.1, 60.2, 64)

Type Material. Holotype, male, labeled: ‘ NEW GUINEA ( NE) Nondugl 1600 m. July 9, 1955 / J. L. Gressitt Collector / [light green label] BPBM / [green label] ♂ / [red label] HOLOTYPE ♂ Hemipeplus heisenbergi KC & Pollock’, in BPBM . Allotype: female, labeled: ‘ NEW GUINEA: NE. Moife , 2100 m. 15 km NW of Okapa Oct. 11-13, 1959 / T. C. Maa Collector / Swept in clearing’, in BPBM. Twenty-four paratypes; 2 specimens, 1 male, 1 female, labeled same as holotype, in BPBM; 1 specimen, sex unknown, labeled same as allotype, in BPBM; 1 specimen, male, labeled: ‘ WEST NEW GUINEA Bokondini , 40km N of Baliem Val. ca. 1300m 16-23.XI.1961 / L. W. Quate Collector’, in BPBM; 1 specimen, male, labeled: ‘ NEW GUINEA ( NE) Goroka , 1550m. July 9 [corrected in ink], 1955 / J. L. Gressitt Collector’, in BPBM; 1 specimen, male, labeled: ‘ NEW GUINEA ( NE) Goroka , 1550m. July 19, 1955 / J. L. Gressitt Collector / ON SUGARCANE’, in BPBM; 4 specimens, 3 females, 1 sex unknown, labeled: ‘ NEW GUINEA ( NE) Goroka , 1550m. July 25, 1955, / J. L. Gressitt Collector / Saccharin [for one]’, in BPBM; 1 specimen, male, labeled: ‘ NEW GUINEA ( NE) Goroka , 1550m. July 26, 1955 / J. L. Gressitt Collector / on sugarcane’, in BPBM; 1 specimen, male, labeled: ‘ NEW GUINEA: NE Okapa , Purosa 1700-2000m, 18.I.1966 / J. Sedlacek Collector BISHOP MUS.’, in BPBM; 1 specimen, sex unknown, labeled: ‘ New Guinea ( NE) Mt. Piora 6°45’S 146°E 1900m, 12. VI.6 6 / 6460 / J. L. Gressitt Collector’, in BPBM; 1 specimen, sex unknown, labeled: ‘ NEW GUINEA ( NE) Miramar, Asano V: 1800m. VI-27-’55 / J. L. Gressitt Collector’, in BPBM; 1 specimen, sex unknown, labeled: ‘ NEW GUINEA: NE. Tapo (=Tapu) 1650m. 3km NW of Kainantu, X-22-1959 / T. C. Maa Collector’, in BPBM; 1 specimen, sex unknown, labeled: ‘ Palmer R. at Black R. Papua June 23-30,1936. Archbold Exped. ’, in AMNH; 1 specimen, sex unknown, labeled: ‘ NEW GUINEA ( NE): Mt. Hagen area 1650m., VI-28-’57 / D. Elmo Hardy Collector Bishop Museum’, in BPBM; 1 specimen, sex unknown, labeled: ‘NE NEW GUINEA: Akivitana Riv. 1550m., 1[not sure about the first digit]0.I.65 / J.&M. Sedlacek Collectors BISHOP MUSEUM’, in BPBM; 1 specimen, female, labeled: ‘ PNG / EH Prov. Umg. Kainantu Onerunka VI. 79 [written on top in ink]’, in MHNG; 1 specimen, male, labeled: ‘ PNG / EH Prov. Umg. Kainantu Onerunka, 22IV79 [written on top in ink]’, in MHNG; 1 specimen, female, labeled: ‘ NEW GUINEA /NE/ Baiyer River Sanctuary, 1-5.IX.1969. / / No. NGB-U./ leg. Dr.J.Balogh / Hemipeplus sp. D . G. H. Halstead det., 1977 / Hemipeplus sp. det. Halstead 1977’, in HNHM; 1 specimen, female, labeled: ‘[something illegible] / J.&M. Sedlacek Collectors BISHOP MUSEUM’, in BPBM; 1 specimen, sex unknown, labeled: ‘ NEW GUINEA (Neth.) Wisselmeren: Kamo-Dobei div. 1700 m. Aug. 13. 1955. / J. L. Gressitt Collector’, in BPBM; 1 specimen, sex unknown, labeled: ‘ TERR. PAPUA & NEW GUINEA [underlined in red]: Alyrua 27.ix.1957. J.Smart / Brit-Mus. 1957-693 / [with a barcode] NHMUK015009784 About NHMUK ’, in BMNH GoogleMaps .

Derivation of Specific Epithet. The specific name (noun in the genitive case) is given in allusion to Walter White’s alias ‘Heisenberg’, the iconic protagonist of the acclaimed TV series ‘Breaking Bad’.

Diagnosis. Hemipeplus heisenbergi sp. nov. can be distinguished from the similar-appearing H. bromineus sp. nov. (Fig. 59) by its distinctly emarginate anterior pronotal margin and less prominent pronotal pad. Hemipeplus heisenbergi sp. nov. also slightly resembles H. miyamotoi (Fig. 43.1) from Japan and Taiwan, but its eyes are relatively larger and temples, smaller than the latter. Hemipeplus heisenbergi sp. nov. has the following diagnostic features: temples very short and roundish but prominent in contrast to its small eyes; scape moniliform to submoniliform (slightly elongate in some specimens), apically dilated; eyes small (only slightly longer than the scape), shallow and less convex; pronotum subcordiform; anterior emargination deep, and prominent; anterior half wider than posterior half; pronotal pad not very prominent; anterior pronotal angles rounded, produced; posterior angles square, rounded; pronotal lobe indistinct, but with median notch; body long; color dull, rufous to rufopiceous, head and pronotum darker; distribution: New Guinea.

Description. Measurements (in mm)—GHW: 0.66–0.73; HL: 0.60–0.70; AL: 1.12–1.30; GPW: 0.72–0.89; PL: 0.57–0.68; GEW: 0.87–1.03; EL: 3.00–3.66; TL: 4.17–5.04.

Head (Figs 60.1B, 60.2B) wide (GHW/HL: 1.04–1.10) eyes small (only slightly longer than the scape), shallow and less convex; temples very short and roundish; occiput with strongly raised areas; antennae slightly shorter or about subequal to head and pronotum length combined; antennal scape moniliform to submoniliform, apically dilated, externally produced on one side; pedicel small moniliform; antennomere III more elongate and apically dilated; IV smaller, submoniliform; V larger, submoniliform, apically dilated; VI–X subtriangular or bowl shaped,

FIGURE 60. 1. Hemipeplus heisenbergi 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.

each wider than the next; XI subpyriform with apex narrowed after the notch; lateral mandibular tooth absent. Pronotum (Figs 60.1B, 60.2B) wide (GPW/PL: 1.26–1.30), subcordiform; anterior margin with deep emargination; anterolateral angles rounded, produced; lateral margins sinuate; posterior half contracted; posterolateral angles slightly obtuse, rounded; pronotal lobe almost absent but with median notch; pronotal pad (Figs 60.1C, 60.2C) not very distinct; pronotal pits deep to moderately deep with moderately developed grooves. Scutellar shield transverse, subpentagonal, twice to less than twice as wide as long. Ventral surface. Prosternal process short, not extending posterior of procoxae; hypomeral edges narrowly to well separated; mesosternal process narrow and linear. Elytra (Figs 60.1A, 60.2A) long (EL/GEW: 3.45–3.55) with almost flat disc; vestiture moderately short and dense; apical patch long and wide, rufous to piceous, less visible when the elytra are piceous. Color dull, rufous (Fig. 60.1) to rufopiceous (Fig. 60.2), head and pronotum darker; ventrally variable, uniformly rufotestaceous to rufopiceous with edges of pro- and mesosternum piceous; some specimens ventrally rufous with inner edges of prosternum darker; palpi, glossal sclerite, galea, and tarsi paler in some, not in others.

FIGURE 60. 2. Hemipeplus heisenbergi sp. nov. (Allotype). A. Dorsal habitus (with scale bar); B. Dorsal head and prothorax; C. Lateral view of head and prothorax.

Male Genitalia (Figs 60. 1D–F). (Tegmen length = 0.33 mm (n = 1)) Lobe of basale thick, short, and wide with dilated apex; shoulders obtuse and slanted; apicale and basale with distinct suture; parameres entirely arcuate, tips moderately sharp; penis longer than tegmen with pointed apex.

Variation. Apart from color variation, some specimens have a much narrower pronotum, more prominent pronotal pad, and slightly larger eyes. The hypomeral edges are more narrowly separated in some specimens than others.

Geographical Distribution (Fig. 64). Widespread in New Guinea from west to east.

Natural History. According to specimen label data, H. heisenbergi sp. nov. is associated with sugarcane ( Poaceae ). The allotype label reads that it was collected by sweeping in a clearing.