Hister gehini Marseul, 1854

Mazur, Slawomir, 2009, Random studies upon Histerini (Coleoptera: Histeridae), Baltic Journal of Coleopterology 9 (2), pp. 101-109 : 102-103

Hister gehini Marseul, 1854

A widely distributed in Africa and fairly variable species. Especially, small specimens with the strongly reduced outer subhumeral stria may be easily confused with those of H. fossor Erichson, 1834 . To make easier a separation of both these species, the male genital structure is figured ( Figs. 6-9). For that of H. fossor see Mazur, 2007: 151, figs. 8-12.

Material examined:

Paratype: a male, Syntypus: 48816, Paratypus, H. Gehini Mars. *, Seneg.[al], Mars.[eul], [ MNHUB]. Additionally, the type-series (5 specimens) of Hister plebejus Klug, 1855 , synonymous with H. gehini , was also studied.

Lecto- and paralectotypes are designated below. Lectotype: a female, 1) [blue, handwritten] [ Mozambique]: Siuna, Peters, 2) [white, printed] 48818, 3) [blue, printed] Hist.-Coll. ( Coleoptera ) Nr. 48818, Hister impressus Apetz, Siuna – Tette, Peters, Zool. Mus. Berlin, 4) [red, printed] Syntypus, Hister plebejus Klug, 1855 , labeled by MNHUB 2007, 5) [white, printed] Lectotypus, 6) [white, printed] Des. S. Mazur, 2007, 7) [white, printed] Hister plebejus Klug, 1855 = H. gehini Marseul, 1854 , Det. S. Mazur, 2007 [ MNHUB].

Paralectotypes: I, female, 1) [blue, handwritten] [ Mozambique]: Tette, Peters, 2) [blue, printed] Hist.-Coll. ( Coleoptera ), Nr. 48818, Hister impressus Apetz, Siuna – Tette, Peters, Zool. Mus. Berlin, 3) [red, printed] Syntypus, Hister plebejus Klug, 1855 , labeled by MNHUB 2007, 4) [white, printed] Paralectotypus, 5) [white, printed] Des. S. Mazur, 2007, 6) [white, printed] Hister plebejus Klug, 1855 = H. gehini Marseul, 1854 , Det. S. Mazur, 2007; II, male, [blue, printed] Hist.-Coll. ( Coleoptera ), Nr. 48818, Hister impressus Apetz, Siuna – Tette, Peters, Zool. Mus. Berlin, 2) [red, printed] Syntypus, Hister Spilodiscus by strongly margined mandibles ( Fig. 10), presence of outer subhumeral stria and different shape of the edeagus. (For that of Spilodiscus see Caterino, 1998: 1145, fig. 3).

Probably a body fimbration and bidentate protibiae are a kind of adaptation to psammophily which appears to have occurred among unrelated groups of Histerini.

Anyway, thorough phylogenetic and morphological studies of the Histerini as a whole are needed to resolve a systematic position of this species.

Material examined:

Paratype: a male, [ RSA]: Twee Rivieren , V 1956, Kalahari Gemsbok Park Expedition , Paratypus, Hister kalaharii sp. n., J. Thérond [ TMNH] .

plebejus Klug, 1855 , labeled by MNHUB 2007, 3) [white, printed] Paralectotypus, 4) [white, printed] Des. S. Mazur, 2007, 5) [white, printed] Hister plebejus Klug, 1855 = H. gehini Marseul, 1854 , Det. S. Mazur, 2007, III and IV, sex undetermined, as labeled as the paralectotypes II [MNHUB].