The filter of interpretability types of Hobby-McKenzie varieties is prime

We study the Hobby-McKenzie varieties that constitute a major class investigated thoroughly in the monograph The shape of congruence lattices by Kearnes and Kiss. We obtain new characterizations of the Hobby-McKenzie varieties via compatible reflexive ternary structures. Based on our findings, we prove that in the lattice of interpretability types of varieties, the filter of the interpretability types of Hobby-McKenzie varieties is prime.