Hesperus sericeicollis (CAMERON 1950) Hromádka, 2012

Hromádka, L., 2012, Revision of the Afrotropical species of the genus Hesperus FAUVEL (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Philonthina), Linzer biologische Beiträge 44 (1), pp. 551-589 : 573-574

Hesperus sericeicollis (CAMERON 1950) nov.comb., (Figs 26-29)

T y p e m a t e r i a l Paratype: Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kivu: Rutshuru, 7.- 9.vi.1934, G. F. Witte, Parc Nat. Albert, // Belonochus sericeicollis n.sp., M. Cameron det., 1949, (MRAC), Paratype: Rutshuru, 1285 m, 7.-24.vi.1934, G.F. Witte, Parc Nat., Albert (MRAC),, [# Congo Belge’]: Kivu: Rutshuru, 1285, 20.-21.xii.1933, G.F. Witte. 131, Parc Nat., Albert. (MRAC). All paratypes with white handwritten label.

R e d e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 10.1 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 5.3 mm.

C o l o u r a t i o n: Body black, head and pronotum golden iridescent, palpomere 1 of maxillary and labial palpi brown, palpomere 2 brown-yellow, palpomere 3 yellow-brown, mandibles and antennae black, base of antennomere 2 brown-yellow, legs black-brown.

Head transverse, distinctly wider than long (ratio 43: 35), very slightly narrowed posteriad, posterior angles obtusely rounded, bearing one long black bristle. Clypeus with four coarse punctures in the middle arranged in a square. With wide impunctate midline, each side along this line and along medial margin of eyes with numerous coarse punctures. Eyes shorter than temples (ratio 10: 15.5), very slightly projecting. Surface with dense untypical microsculpture of bow-shaped or U shaped.

Antennae stout and short, slightly widened distally. Antennomeres 1-4 and 11 longer than wide, antennomere 5 as long as wide, antennomeres 6-10 as wide as long. Antennomere 1 distinctly longer than antennomere 11, antennomere 2 shorter than antennomere 3.

Pronotum as wide as long, distinctly narrowed posteriad, anterior angles conspicuously deflexed, vaguely obtusely rounded with many small punctures and bearing short bristles. Posterior angles markedly rounded, base straight. Each dorsal row with ten approximately equidistant punctures. With wide impunctate midline, sides with numerous irregular punctures. Surface with microsculpture similar to that on head.

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

Elytra as wide as long, very slightly widened posteriad. Punctation very fine and dense, diameter of punctures smaller than that on scutellum, interstices mostly smaller than a puncture diameter, almost contiguous here and there. Surface between punctures without microsculpture; setation greyish.

Legs. Metatibia longer than metatarsus (ratio 28: 22), metatarsomere 1 slightly shorter than metatarsomere 5.

Abdomen wide, from visible tergite III slightly narrowed posteriad, punctation slightly coarser and denser than that on elytra. Surface between punctures without microsculpture; setation similar to that on elytra.

Male. Protarsomeres 1-3 slightly dilated and sub-bilobed, each covered with modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 narrower than preceding ones. Sternite IX (Fig. 29), aedeagus (Figs 26-28).

Female. Protarsomeres 1-3 similar as in male.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s Hesperus sericeicollis is similar to H. mirus but differs in the shorter antennae and eyes, different colouration of the abdomen and by the different shape of the aedeagus.

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