Hesperus flexibilis, Cai & Li & Tang, 2024

Cai, Yu-Jie, Li, Yue-Yang & Tang, Liang, 2024, New species group and two new species of the genus Hesperus from China (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Philonthina), Zootaxa 5474 (5), pp. 550-562 : 553

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5474.5.6
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6B9033A2-DF32-43AB-A06F-FD9392BB718A
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12730966
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/612C87D2-1857-FFE8-EEFC-20CAFCBBA937
treatment provided by	Plazi (2024-07-07 17:43:16, last updated 2024-11-27 02:35:59)
scientific name	Hesperus flexibilis
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Hesperus flexibilis sp. nov.

(Chinese name: NJã刃Ḇdzûà)

( Figs 3, 4 View FIGURES 1–6 , 14, 20 View FIGURES 13–24 , 30–34)

Type material. Holotype. China: ♂ glued on a card with labels as follows: “ China: Xizang Prov., Motuo County, Renqingbeng Temple , 29°18′5″N, 95°20′39″E, alt. 2000m, 15.VI.2023, Tang, Peng, Song, Zhang & Cai leg.” “Holotype / Hesperus flexibilis / Cai, Li & Tang” [red handwritten label] ( SHNU). GoogleMaps

Description. Measurements of male: BL: 15.10 mm, FL: 6.79 mm. HL: 1.64 mm, HW: 2.95 mm, EYL: 0.81 mm, TL: 0.65 mm, PL: 2.26 mm, PW: 2.26 mm, EL: 3.35 mm, EW: 3.47 mm. HW/HL: 1.79, TL/EYL: 0.81, PL/ PW: 1.00, EL/EW: 0.96.

The species is extremely similar to H. watanabei , so only a comparative description is given here. From H. watanabei , H. flexibilis differs by antennomeres 8–11 creamy white ( Fig. 14 View FIGURES 13–24 ) (only three antennomeres (9-11) creamy white in H. watanabei ); posterior portion of head with less dense punctation ( Fig. 20 View FIGURES 13–24 ); aedeagus ( Figs 30, 31, 32 View FIGURES 25–34 ) with paramere slenderer, peg setae more regularly arranged toward base. In addition, it differs by bigger eyes, slightly slenderer fore body: HW/HL about 1.79 (1.78–1.81 in H. watanabei ), TL/EYL about 0.81 (0.84–1.03 in H. watanabei ), PL/PW about 1.00 (0.93–0.96 in H. watanabei ), EL/EW about 0.96 (0.90–0.92 in H. watanabei ).

Etymology. The holotype had escaped quickly from the gaps of the breeding container twice without the first author’s knowledge, thus the species is named flexibilis which means flexible.

Distribution. This species is only known in Xizang province, southwestern China.

Bionomics. The species was collected by a rotten fungi trap.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Habitus. 1, 2—Hesperus birmanus; 3, 4—H. flexibilis; 5, 6—H. susannekontrusae. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURES 13–24. Characters of Hesperus. 13–18—antennae; 19–24—head; 13, 19—H. birmanus; 14, 20—H. flexibilis; 15, 21—H. susannekontrusae; 16, 22—H. watanabei; 17, 23—H. babai; 18, 24—H. pengi. Scale bars: 1 mm.

FIGURES 25–34. Characters of Hesperus. 25–29—H. birmanus; 30–34—H. flexibilis; 25, 30—aedeagus in lateral view; 26, 31—aedeagus in ventral view; 27, 32—paramere; 28, 33—sternite IX of male; 29, 34—tergite X of male. Scale bars: 0.1 mm.