Hemipeplus africanus Grouvelle, 1915

Hemipeplus africanus Grouvelle, 1915

(Figs 32.1, 32.2, 63)

Hemipeplus africanus Grouvelle, 1915: 287 .— Kolbe 1919: 200; Hetschko 1930: 90; Scott 1933: 608, 610; Kamiya 1963: 14; Pollock 1997: 90, Figs 7, 18, 22.

Type Material. Holotype, sex unknown, only images sent from MNHN, labeled: ‘[blue label] Gabon [with other illegible word(s)] / [pink] Type / Hemipeplus africanus Grouv. / MUSEUM PARIS 1917 Coll. GROUVELLE / [red label] HOLOTYPE Hemipeplus africanus Grouv. Examined by D.A. Pollock 1997 / [with a barcode] MNHN, Paris EC 26370’, in MNHN (Grouvelle Collection) .

Other Material Examined. CAMEROON. Southwest Region. Fako Division. Upper Farm Buea elevation 4500 ft., 9–20.v.1949, B. Malkin leg., ( DAPC, 1) ; 2km N Bakingili 200 m. 28–30.vii.1984, J. Rawlins, J. DiGiulio leg., ( CMNH, 1) . CÔTE D’IVOIRE. Danané Department. Yeale Village, Mt. Nimba , 07°31’35.3’’N, 08°25’20.1’’W, 18–29.iv.2016, Aristophanous, M., Geiser, M., Moretto, P., leg., light trap, BMNH (E) 2016–109, TripRef: CI-003 ( ANHRT 17 ), ( BMNH, 1♂) (Fig. 32.2) GoogleMaps . GABON. Woleu-Ntem Province. Okano. Mikongo (Rougier), Monts de Cristal , secondary forest 0°29’47’’N, 11°10’42’’E 430 m, 28.vii–12.viii.2019, Albert, J-L., Aristophanous, M., Bie Mba, J., Dérozier, V., Morerro, P. leg., MV light, BMNH (E) 2020–19, ( BMNH, 1♂) GoogleMaps . GHANA. Western Region. Prestea-Huni Valley District . Pretsia, 24 m 4°55’N 1°52’W, 25.viii.1969, Dr. S. Endrody-Younga leg., ( DAPC, 1♀) GoogleMaps .

Ashanti Region. Kumasi Metropolitan. Kumasi, Nhiaau 330 m, 6°43’N 1°36’W, 1–7.iii.1967, Dr. S. Endrody-Younga leg., light trap, ( DAPC, 1). GUINEA GoogleMaps . Kindia Region. Coyah Prefecture. 1.viii–12.xii.1968, K. Perenoz leg., ( DAPC, 1). Kindia Prefecture. Damakanya, 29–30.iv.1951, Exped. Mus. G. Frey, Franz Guinea 1951 W. Afr., Bechvne leg., ( NHMB, 1♂) ( Fig. 32.1). NIGERIA . Oyo. Ibadan , iv.1956, V . F. Eastop leg., C.E. Tottenham Collection B.M. 1974–587, ( BMNH, 1) . Niger. Tafa , 21.v.1957, V . FE leg., C.E. Tottenham Collection, BM 1974– 587 , ( BMNH, 1). UGANDA . Ruwenzori Range. Semliki Forest . 2850 ft. 22.vii.–3.ix.1952. D.S. Fletcher leg., ( BMNH, 1) . Bwamba. Hakitengya ,?. ii–iii.1949, W.H. R . Lumsden leg., from suction trap, Brit. Mus. 1949–576, ( BMNH, 1) . Kampala. Kampala, 7.vi. 192, H. Hargreaves leg., ( BMNH, 1♀) .

Diagnosis. Hemipeplus africanus can be distinguished from the similar-appearing H. alluaudi (Figs 33.1, 33.2) by its subparallel posterolateral pronotal margins and darker color. Hemipeplus africanus has the following diagnostic features: temples short and angulate to somewhat rounded, slightly larger in some specimens; scape moniliform; eyes large (longer than scape + pedicel), wide to moderately wide; pronotum wide to relatively narrow, subcordiform; anterior half wider than posterior half with deep to shallow anterior emargination in center; anterolateral angles moderately produced, broadly rounded; pronotal pad present but narrow; hind angles sharply acute to less so; posterolateral margins of pronotum straight and subparallel; pronotal lobe indistinct and rounded without median notch; scutellar shield subhexagonal to elliptical, transverse, less than twice as wide as long; body long; elytra slightly convex; color rufotestaceous to rufopiceous; distribution: widespread in Africa between 10°N and 5°S ( Pollock 1997).

Male Genitalia (Figs 32.1D–F, 32.2D–F). (Tegmen length = 0.35–0.43 mm (n = 2)) Lobe of basale short with rounded end, a little more elongate than in H. alluaudi ; shoulders slanted and obtusely angled (an extra layer from basale pointed upward sometimes covers it making it look acutely pointed (Fig. 32.2E )); apicale and basale with somewhat clear suture; basale subequal to apicale (not including basal lobe); parameres long and almost straight, apices curved inward; apices thin and sharp; penis wide, much longer than tegmen, apically narrowed.

Variation. Some specimens have pointed and acute hind angles of pronotum while it is less so in some; emargination on anterior pronotum is fairly deep to shallow; body color ranges from uniformly lighter brown to dark brown with piceous shade; the size of eye varies as some specimens with shallower eyes were seen; females probably have smaller/shallower eyes.

Remarks. Hemipeplus africanus closely resembles H. klematanicus , H. pseudoklematanicus sp. nov. and H. nigerrimus sp. nov. from the Austro-Oriental region and might be difficult to distinguish without examination of male genitalia or locality data.

Geographical Distribution (Fig. 63). Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda ( Pollock 1997).

Natural History. According to specimen label data, adults of H. africanus have been collected from light traps including mercury vapor light(s) in secondary forest(s), and suction trap(s). Specimens have also been collected by beating and aerial collecting according to Pollock (1997).

FIGURE 32. 1. Hemipeplus africanus Grouvelle, 1915 . 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 32.2. Hemipeplus africanus Grouvelle, 1915 . 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.