Hesperus mirus 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 : 565-566

Hesperus mirus BERNHAUER 1915 ( Figs 47-49 )

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: Kamerun, Kraatz, // Hesperus mirus Bernhauer TYPUS [ochre oblong label handwritten] Chicago NHMus M. Bernhauer collection ( FMNH). COTYPE:

, same label data as holotype (FMNH).

R e d e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 11.1 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 6.2 mm.

C o l o u r a t i o n: Head and pronotum black, slightly golden iridescent, scutellum and elytra black, abdomen with visible tergites 1-3, entire tergite 4 and basal two thirds of tergite 5 black, posterior third of tergite 5 and entire tergites 6 and 7 yellow. Maxillary and labial palpi black, palpomere 3 slightly paler distally, mandibles, antennae and legs black.

Head wider than long (ratio 40: 33), slightly narrowed posteriad. Posterior angles obtusely rounded bearing two long black bristles. Eyes vaguely convex, as long as temples, along entire medial margin with coarse punctures. Middle of head impunctate, posterior

margin of eyes and head, and temporal area with many coarse punctures. Surface with very fine microsculpture.

Antennae slender and long, reaching posterior margin of pronotum when reclined. Antennomeres 1-7 and 11 longer than wide, antennomeres 8-10 as long as wide. Antennomere 1 much longer than antennomere 11, antennomere 2 shorter than antennomere 3.

Pronotum highly convex, almost as long as wide, distinctly sinuately narrowed posteriad. Anterior angles conspicuously deflexed, obtusely rounded, with several black bristles of variable length and with several coarse punctures, posterior angles markedly rounded. Each dorsal row with ten approximately equidistant punctures. With wide impunctate midline, each side with several fine punctures. Surface with microsculpture similar to that on head.

Scutellum very densely and coarsely punctate, diameter of punctures much larger than eye-facets, separated by much less than a puncture diameter in transverse direction, punctures slightly contiguous here and there.

Elytra quadrate, slightly widened posteriad, anterior and posterior angles bearing bristles variable length. Each side bearing three long black bristles and many short black bristles of variable length. Punctation fine and sparse, diameter of punctures slightly larger than eye-facets, separated by one and half or two puncture diameters. Surface between punctures without microsculpture; setation black and longer.

Legs. Metatarsus shorter than metatibia (ratio 31: 36), metatarsomere 1 shorter than metatarsomere 5.

Abdomen wide, from visible tergite II distinctly narrowed posteriad. First three visible tergites with two basal lines, elevated area between lines punctate. Punctation of visible tergites coarser and somewhat denser than that on elytra. Surface without microsculpture; setation similar to that on elytra.

Male. Protarsomeres 1-3 conspicuously dilated and sub-bilobed, each covered with modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 narrower than preceding ones. Aedeagus ( Figs 47-49 ).

Female. Protarsomeres 1-3 slightly dilated, each covered with modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 narrower than preceding ones.

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s Hesperus mirus is similar to H. sericeicolli s but it differs in the longer antennae and eyes, different colouration of the abdomen and different shape of the aedeagus.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Cameroon, Central African Republic ( HERMAN 2001).

Figures

Figs 47-49: Hesperus mirus BERNHAUER 1915. (47) aedeagus, ventral view, (48) aedeagus, lateral view, (49) apex of paramere with sensory peg setae. Figs 50-52: Hesperus mylomys HROMÁDKA 2009. (50) – aedeagus, ventral view, (51) – aedeagus, lateral view, (52) apex of paramere with sensory peg setae. Figs 53-56: Hesperus nobilis BERNHAUER 1928. (53) aedeagus, ventral view. (54) aedeagus, lateral view. (55) apex of paramere with sensory peg setae. (56) male sternite IX. Figs 57-58: Hesperus obscurior BERNHAUER 1915. (57) female tergite X. (58) gonocoxite of female genital segment. Figs 59-60: Hesperus overlaeti BERNHAUER 1939. Figs (59) female tergite X, ventral view. (60) gonocoxite of female genital segment.