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

Hesperus flexibilis sp. nov.

(Chinese name: NJã刃Ḇdzûà)

( Figs 3, 4 , 14, 20 , 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).

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 ) (only three antennomeres (9-11) creamy white in H. watanabei ); posterior portion of head with less dense punctation ( Fig. 20 ); aedeagus ( Figs 30, 31, 32 ) 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.