Hemipeplus chaos

Thomas, 1985

Hemipeplus chaos is a in the Mycteridae, described in 1985 by entomologist Michael C. Thomas. The species name refers to the taxonomic confusion surrounding its identification—specimens had been previously misidentified as females of the related species Hemipeplus marginipennis. It is found in Central and North America, where it shelters between unopened fronds of Sabal palmetto palms without causing feeding damage to the plant.

Hemipeplus chaos - head by Jeffrey Eickwort. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Hemipeplus chaos - dorsal view by Jeffrey Eickwort. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Hemipeplus chaos - lateral view by Jeffrey Eickwort. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Hemipeplus chaos: /ˌhɛmɪˈplɛpləs ˈkeɪɒs/

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Identification

Hemipeplus chaos was originally confused with Hemipeplus marginipennis, with specimens misidentified as females of that . Reliable separation from H. marginipennis requires examination of morphological characters established by Thomas (1985).

Images

Habitat

Frequently found sheltered between blades of unopened Sabal palmetto fronds.

Distribution

Central America and North America.

Host Associations

Sabal palmetto - shelterFrequently found between unopened fronds; no feeding damage to the plant has been observed.

Similar Taxa

Hemipeplus marginipennisHemipeplus chaos was previously misidentified as females of this related , requiring taxonomic revision to separate the two.

More Details

Etymology

The specific epithet chaos is derived from the Greek word meaning 'utter disorder and confusion,' referring to the taxonomic confusion among these prior to formal description.

Taxonomic history

Specimens of this had been collected by earlier entomologists but were misidentified until Michael C. Thomas described it as a distinct species in 1985.