Hesperus sparsior BERNHAUER, 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 : 575-576

Hesperus sparsior BERNHAUER 1928 (Figs 70-72)

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: Tanganika TY. Konga: from discased Rubber Tree, 10.-22. Coll. A. H. Ritchie, Pres by Imp., Bur. Ent. Brit. Mus. 1924 -197. // Hesperus sparsior BERNHAUER n. sp. [ochre oblong label handwritten]’ ( BMNH).

R e d e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 11.2 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 5.6 mm.

C o l o u r a t i o n: Head black, pronotum, scutellum and abdomen black-brown, elytra red, maxillary and labial palpi yellow, mandibles dark brown, antennomeres 1-2 and anterior half of antennomere 11 dark brown, antennomeres 3-10 and posterior half of antennomere 11 black, legs yellow-brown.

Head transverse, wider than long (ratio 44: 35), parallel-sided, posterior angles obtusely rounded, bearing long black bristles. Middle of clypeus with four coarse punctures ar- ranged in a square. Middle of head with V-shaped impunctate area, each side with several coarse punctures. Temporal area impunctate. Eyes shorter than temples (ratio 13: 18). Surface with microsculpture consisting of transverse waves.

Antennae short and stout, reaching midlength of pronotum when reclined. Antennomeres 1-3 and 11 longer than wide, antennomere 4 as long as wide, antennomeres 5-6 slightly wider than long, antennomeres 7-10 distinctly wider than long, subserrate.

Pronotum longer than wide (ratio 42: 40), distinctly narrowed posteriad. Anterior angles conspicuously deflexed, vaguely obtusely rounded, bearing several variably long brown bristles. Posterior angles rounded, base of pronotum almost straight. Each dorsal row with ten coarse approximately equidistant punctures. With wide impunctate midline, each side with scattered coarse punctures. Surface with microsculpture similar to that on head.

Scutellum very densely and coarsely punctate, diameter of punctures distinctly larger than eye-facets, interstices very small.

Elytra longer than wide (ratio 50: 47), parallel-sided, punctation finer and sparser than that on scutellum. Diameter of punctures vaguely larger than eye-facets, separated by a puncture diameter in transverse direction. Surface without microsculpture; setation yellow-brown.

Legs. Metatibia as long as metatarsus, metatarsomere 1 shorter than metatarsomere 5.

Abdomen wide, parallel-sided. First three visible tergites with two basal lines, elevated area between lines densely and coarsely punctate. Punctation at base of all tergites much denser than that on elytra, gradually becoming finer and sparser towards posterior margin of each tergite, some punctures drop-shaped. Surface without microsculpture; setation similar to that on elytra.

Male. Protarsomeres 1-3 slightly dilated, each covered with modified pale setae ventrally. Aedeagus (Figs 70-72).

Female Unknown to the author.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s Hesperus sparsior may be distinguished from the similar H. anas by coarser punctures in the dorsal row, pronotum without golden iridescence, coarser punctation of the scutellum and elytra, sparser and finer punctation of the abdomen, from H. fraternus by the distinctly longer eyes, wider head, narrower elytra, darker legs and from both by the different shape of the aedeagus.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Tanzania, Ethiopia, Cameroon ( HERMAN 2001).