Hoplopisthius (Pseudotaphroderes) maximus n. sp.

Holotype. Ψ, "Mailu, Brit. N. G., July 1895, Anthony, Muséum Paris, 1952, coll. R. Oberthür, Prép. micro. n°AM00076, Hoplopisthius (P.) maximus n. sp., Holotype, MNHN EC 1151", in MNHN.

Paratypes. 1 Ψ, Nouv. Guinée, Baie de Geelvink, Raffray & Maindron 1878, MNHN EC 1152 (MNHN); 1 Ψ, New Ireland Pr., N. Ireland, Lelet Plat., 5 km SE Kamiraba, 600–800 m, 03°15'33''S – 151°55'32''E, 11.III.2000, leg A. Weigel (NME); 1 ɗ and 1 Ψ, New Britain, Mt Sinewit, 3500 ft, 27.6– 17.9.1963, W. W. Brandt (ANIC).

Description. Total length: 9.1–12.0 mm. Width across humeral calli: 1.3–1.9 mm. Body red-brown without darker elytral area. Habitus of type: Fig. 17.

Head (Fig. 83) as long as broad, shiny, hardly punctate. Vertex and frons with a superficial groove. Metarostrum hardly grooved. Prorostrum 0.30–0.35 as long as head + metarostrum + mesorostrum. Antennomere 3 hardly conical, slightly longer than broad; antennomeres 4–8 subcylindrical, as long as broad; 11th 1.75–2.00 longer than 10th. Venter of head with a very weak median groove.

Pronotum shiny, smooth. Prosternellum distinct. Underside of first protarsal segment denticulate (Fig. 86). Metasternum smooth, convex, shiny, not deeply grooved. Interstria 3 abruptly stopped before apical declivity but not forming a sharp tooth (Fig. 84); interstria 8 only present on the rear part of elytra. External border of apical "forceps" without small tooth at base; inner side of apical "forceps" with a short median tooth in female (Fig. 84), the tooth much weaker in male.

Sternites III–IV of female (Fig. 85) very convex, shiny, not grooved nor depressed. Tergite VII of female (Fig. 88) with long hair. Apical teeth of tergite VIII almost missing (Fig. 89). Gonopods IX: Fig. 87. Spermatheca: Fig. 90. Sternites III–IV of male convex, longitudinally grooved.

Distribution. This species is presently known only from New Guinea (Indonesia and Papua-New- Guinea), New Ireland and New Britain.

Etymology. The epithet " maximus " refers to the large size of individuals of this species.

Remarks. Both the holotype and the female paratype in the MNHN collection were erroneously identified. Damoiseau thought the holotype belonged to Carcinopisthius loriae Senna & Calabresi, and Kleine identified the female paratype as Carcinopisthius oberthueri (Senna). Distribution map: Fig. 99.