Hesperus depressus BERNHAUER 1908

Hromádka, L., 2012, Revision of the Afrotropical species of the genus Hesperus FAUVEL (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Philonthina), Linzer biologische Beiträge 44 (1), pp. 551-589 : 559-560

Hesperus depressus BERNHAUER 1908 (Figs 23-25)

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: Kamerun, Kraatz, // Hesperus depressus Bernhauer , TYPE, [ochre oblong label handwritten], Chicago NHMus M. Bernhauer collection (FMNH). Paratype ["Cotypus"]: same label data as holotype.

R e d e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 10.5 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 6.1 mm.

C o l o u r a t i o n: Head black, slightly golden iridescent, pronotum black-brown, distinctly golden iridescent, scutellum dark brown, sides narrowly yellow-red, shining, elytra yellow-brown, first four visible tergites brown, remaining tergites yellow-brown, paler than elytra, maxillary and labial palpi yellow-brown, mandibles black. Antennomere 1 and base of antennomere 2 brown-yellow, remaining antennomeres black-brown, legs brown-yellow.

Head transverse, wider than long (ratio 50: 43), parallel-sided, posterior angles obtusely rounded, bearing two black bristles. Eyes much shorter than temples (ratio 14: 23), posterior angles with three coarse punctures, in the middle of head impunctate circle, sides and temporal area with many irregularly arranged coarse punctures. Surface with very fine microsculpture consisting of transverse waves.

Antennae slightly widened distally, reaching posterior third of pronotum when reclined. Antennomeres 1-3 and 11 longer than wide, antennomeres 4-5 as long as wide, antennomeres 6-10 slightly serrate. Antennomere 1 twice as long as antennomere 11, antennomere 2 shorter than antennomere 3.

Pronotum as long as wide, distinctly narrowed posteriad, anterior angles rounded, bearing several long black bristles, posterior angles markedly rounded. Each dorsal row with 10 coarse, irregularly spaced punctures. With wide impunctate midline, each side with many irregular punctures of variable size. Surface with microsculpture similar to that on head.

Scutellum very densely and coarsely punctate. Diameter of punctures much larger than eye-facets.

Elytra longer than wide (ratio 59: 53), parallel-sided. Punctation fine and dense, punctures slightly smaller than that on scutellum, separated by a puncture diameter in transverse direction. Surface without microsculpture; setation yellow-brown.

Legs. Metatibia longer than metatarsus (ratio 29: 25), metatarsomere 1 vaguely longer than metatarsomere 5.

Abdomen wide, from visible tergite 3 slightly narrowed anteriad and posteriad. First three visible abdominal tergites with two basal lines, elevated area between lines punctate. Punctation of visible tergites slightly finer but much denser than that on elytra. Surface between punctures without microsculpture; setation similar to that on elytra.

Male. Protarsomeres 1-3 slightly dilated, each covered with modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 narrower than preceding ones. Aedeagus (Figs 23-25).

Female. Protarsomeres 1-3 moderately dilated, each covered with modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 very small.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s Hesperus depressus may be distinguished from the similar H. meyeri by the shorter pronotum, denser and finer punctation of elytra, by the golden iridescence of head and pronotum and by the different shape of the aedeagus.

D i s t r i b u t i o n. Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo ( HERMAN 2001).