Hesperus gestroi BERNHAUER 1915

Hromádka, L., 2012, Revision of the Afrotropical species of the genus Hesperus FAUVEL (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Philonthina), Linzer biologische Beiträge 44 (1), pp. 551-589 : 561-562

Hesperus gestroi BERNHAUER 1915 ( Figs 31-34 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: 2 "Cotypes": Insel Fernando Poo: Moka, 1300-1500 m, 11.iii.1902, L. Fea, Museo Civico Genova // gestroi Bernhauer COTYPUS [ochre oblong label handwritten) Chicago NHMus M. Bernhauer collection (FMNH).

R e d e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 13.2-14.5 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 6.2-7.0 mm.

C o l o u r a t i o n: Head and pronotum dark brown-violet, scutellum and elytra dark violet-red, visible abdomen tergites III-VI dark brown-red, tergite VII orange-yellow, tergite VIII yellow. Maxillary and labial palpi, mandibles and legs dark brown, base of antennomere 2 yellow-brown, remaining antennomeres black-brown.

Head distinctly wider than long (ratio 45: 35, 62: 42), parallel-sided, posterior angles obtusely rounded bearing two long black bristles. Between eyes with four fine punctures, distance between medial interocular punctures twice as long as distance be- tween medial and lateral puncture. Eyes almost as long as temples. Posterior margin of eyes with two coarse punctures, temporal area with several variably large punctures. Surface with very fine microsculpture consisting of transverse waves.

Antennae long, reaching posterior margin of pronotum when reclined. Antennomeres 1-8 and 11 longer than wide, antennomeres 9-10 as long as wide.

Pronotum wider than long (ratio 51: 47, 60: 52), parallel-sided, anterior angles conspicuously deflexed, vaguely obtusely rounded, posterior angles markedly rounded. Left dorsal row with five coarse punctures, right row with four punctures, each sublateral row with two punctures, puncture 2 shifted toward lateral margin. Two long black bristles in anterior third of sides. Surface without microsculpture.

Whole scutellum finely and densely punctate, punctures as large as eye-facets, separated by one and half or two puncture diameters. Surface without microsculpture.

Elytra wider than long (ratio 69: 65, 72: 70), vaguely widened posteriad. Punctation very fine and relatively sparse. Diameter of punctures slightly larger than eyefacets, separated by one and half or two puncture diameters. Surface without microsculpture; setation brown-yellow.

Legs. Metatibibia as long as metatarsus, metatarsomere 1 longer than metatarsomere 5, as long as metatarsomeres 2-4 combined.

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

Male. Protarsomeres 1-3 relatively slightly dilated and sub-bilobed, each covered with modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 narrower than preceding ones. Sternite IX ( Fig. 34 ), aedeagus ( Figs 31-33 ).

Female. Protarsomeres 1-3 less dilated than those in male, protarsomere 4 small.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s Hesperus gestroi may be distinguished from the similar H. cafioides by the longer antennae, shorter 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. Island Fernando Poo ( HERMAN 2001).

Figures

Figs 31-34: Hesperus gestroi BERNHAUER 1915. (31) aedeagus, ventral view. (32) aedeagus, lateral view. (33) apex of paramere with sensory peg setae. (34) male sternite IX. Figs 35-37: Hesperus gridellianus BERNHAUER 1928. (35) aedeagus, ventral view. (36) aedeagus, lateral view. (37) apex of paramere with sensory peg setae, ventral view. Figs 38-40: Hesperus kraatzi EPPELSHEIM 1895. (38) aedeagus, ventral view. (39) aedeagus, lateral view. (40) apex of paramere with sensory peg setae. Figs 43-46: Hesperus meyeri BERNHAUER 1915. (43) aedeagus, ventral view. (44) aedeagus, lateral view. (45) apex of paramere with sensory peg setae. (46) male sternite IX.