Hesperus sparsiceps BERNHAUER 1928

Hromádka, L., 2012, Revision of the Afrotropical species of the genus Hesperus FAUVEL (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Philonthina), Linzer biologische Beiträge 44 (1), pp. 551-589 : 574-575

Hesperus sparsiceps BERNHAUER 1928 (Figs 68-69)

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: Insel Fernando Poo: Basilè 400-600m, viii.-ix.1901, L.

Fea, // Hesperus sparsiceps Bernhauer TYPE [ochre oblong label handwritten], Chicago NHMmus

M. Bernhauer collection (FMNH).

A d d i t i o n a l m a t e r i a l:: West Afrika, J. Fernando-Póo, v.1900, L. Conradt S. V. (cHPC).

R e d e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 9.3 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 4.8 mm.

C o l o u r a t i o n: Body black, head and pronotum golden iridescent, maxillary and

labial palpi brown-yellow, mandibles and legs black-brown, antennae black.

Head transverse, distinctly wider than long (ratio 36: 23), very slightly narrowed posteriad. Eyes as long as temples. Clypeus in the middle with four punctures arranged in a square, wide midline impunctate, slightly narrowed posteriad, with numerous coarse punctures on each side. Surface without microsculpture.

Antennae stout and long, reaching almost posterior margin of pronotum when reclined, antennomere 1 much longer than antennomere 11, antennomere 2 shorter than antennomere 3.

Pronotum as long as wide, anterior angles almost rectangular, with numerous coarse punctures bearing several short black bristles, posterior angles markedly rounded, base of pronotum straight. Each dorsal row with ten very coarse punctures. With wide impunctate midline, on each side with numerous coarse, irregular punctures, diameter of punctures similar to that on head. Surface without microsculpture.

Scutellum very densely and coarsely punctate, interstices very small.

Elytra about as long as wide, parallel-sided. Punctation fine and dense, punctures smaller than those on scutellum, separated by a puncture diameter, or less here and there. Sides and posterior margin bearing several variably long black bristles. Surface without microsculpture; setation dark.

Legs. Metatibia longer than metatarsus (ratio 24: 20). Metatarsomere 1 slightly longer than metatarsomere 5.

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

Male. Unknown to the author.

Female. Protarsomeres 1-3 simple, moderately dilated, each covered with modified pale setae ventrally.Tergite X (Fig. 68), gonocoxite of female genital segment (Fig. 69).

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s Hesperus sparsiceps may be distinguished from the similar H. kraatzi by the longer eyes and not iridescent pronotum.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Island Fernando Poo ( HERMAN 2001).