Hesperus strigiventris EPPELSHEIM 1895

Hromádka, L., 2012, Revision of the Afrotropical species of the genus Hesperus FAUVEL (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Philonthina), Linzer biologische Beiträge 44 (1), pp. 551-589 : 577-578

Hesperus strigiventris EPPELSHEIM 1895 ( Figs 76-78 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: // strigiventris, Togoland, Epp., West Africa , ded. Kraatz, [white oblong label handwritten], c. Eppelsh. Steind. d., TYPUS [red oblong printed label] ( NHMW).

R e d e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 13.8 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 6.8 mm.

C o l o u r a t i o n: Head, pronotum and scutellum black, elytra red-yellow, abdomen red-brown, posterior margin of all tergites paler, maxillary and labial palpi yellowbrown, mandibles brown, antennae black, antennomere 11 red-yellow, legs red-yellow.

Head trapezoid, wider than long (ratio 65: 45), distinctly narrowed posteriad, posterior angles obtusely rounded, bearing one long and several short bristles. Eyes slightly convex, as long as temples, each medial margin with several coarse punctures. Between eyes six punctures, punctures 1-3 and 4-6 approximately equidistant, distance between punc-

tures 3-4 distinctly larger than between previous punctures. With very wide impunctate midline, each side with scattered punctures. Surface without microsculpture.

Antennae long and slender, reaching posterior margin of pronotum when reclined. Antennomeres 1-6 and 11 longer than wide, antennomeres 7-10 as long as wide. Antennomere 1 twice as long as antennomere 11, antennomere 2 shorter than antennomere 3.

Pronotum highly convex, as long as wide, slightly narrowed posteriad, anterior angles obtusely rounded, bearing 6 or 7 long black bristles, posterior angles markedly rounded, base straight. Sides bearing several long black bristles in anterior third. With wide impunctate midline, each side with scattered irregularly arranged punctures. Each dorsal row with 8-10 coarse, approximately equidistant punctures. Surface without microsculpture.

Middle of scutellum coarsely and densely punctate, punctures much larger than eyefacets, separated by less than a puncture diameter in transverse direction. Sides impunctate.

Elytra inconspicuously wider than long (ratio 66: 64), very slightly widened posteriad. Punctation fine and sparse, diameter of punctures slightly smaller than that on scutellum, separated mostly by two puncture diameters in transverse direction. Sides and posterior margin with many variably long ginger-haired bristles. Surface without microsculpture; setation of the ginger colouration..

Legs. Metatibia as long as metatarsus, metatarsomere 1 shorter than metatarsomere 5, as long as metatarsomeres 2 and 3 combined.

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

Male. Protarsomeres 1-3 dilated and sub-bilobed, each covered with modified pale setae. Protarsomere 4 narrower than preceding ones. Aedeagus ( Figs 76 : 78).

Female. Protarsomeres 1-3 less dilated than those of male, each covered with modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 small.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s Hesperus strigiventris is very similar to H. overlaeti . It may be distinguished from the latter by the shorter eyes, longer antennae and narrower pronotum.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Guinea, Togo, Uganda. ( HERMAN 2001).

Figures

Figs 76-78: Hesperus strigiventris EPPELSHEIM 1895. (76) aedeagus, ventral view. (77) aedeagus, lateral view. (78) apex of paramere with sensory perg setae, Figs 79-81: Hesperus uelensis BERNHAUER 1932. (79) aedeagus, ventral view. (80) aedeagus, lateral view. (81) apex of paramere with sensory peg setae.