Hesperus obscurior 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 : 568-569

Hesperus obscurior BERNHAUER 1915 (Figs 57-58)

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: Abyssinia: Errer : Djere-Tal, 1.vii.1911, Kovács, // obscurior Bernhauer TYPUS [ochre oblong label handwrittrn] Chicago NHMus M. Bernhauer collection ( FMNH).

R e d e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 9.7 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 4.6 mm.

C o l o u r a t i o n: Head, pronotum, scutellum, abdomen and mandibles black, pronotum golden iridescent, elytra red, suture narrowly black, maxillary and labial palpi brown-yellow, antennomere 1 brown-black, remaining antennomeres black, femora brown-yellow, tibiae and tarsi black-brown.

Head. transverse, wider than long (ratio 53: 42), clypeus with a shallow triangulate depression medially, parallel-sided, posterior angles obtusely rounded, bearing one long black bristle. Eyes flat, small, much shorter than temples (ratio 13: 23), posterior margin with several punctures. Head impunctate in circular middle, sides, temporal area and posterior margin each with numerous punctures of variable size. Surface with microsculpture.

Antennae stout, distinctly widened distally, reaching posterior third of pronotum when reclined, antennomeres 1-3 and 11 longer than wide, antennomere 4 as long as wide, antennomeres 5-10 wider than long.

Pronotum as long as wide, distinctly narrowed posteriad, anterior angles conspicuously deflexed, slightly obtusely rounded, almost rectangular, bearing several bristles of variable length, posterior angles obtusely rounded. Each dorsal row with ten approximately equidistant punctures. With wide impunctate midline, numerous irregular punctures on each side. Surface with microsculpture similar to that on head.

Scutellum very densely and coarsely punctate, diameter of punctures twice as large as eye-facets, interstices very small.

Elytra very finely and densely punctate, diameter of punctures slightly smaller than that on scutellum, interstices slightly smaller than diameter of punctures. Surface between punctures without microsculpture; setation grey.

Legs. Metatarsus shorter than metatibia (ratio 27: 33), metatarsomere 1 slightly longer than metatarsomere 5.

Abdomen wide, parallel-sided, from visible tergite 4 very slightly narrowed posteriad. First three visible tergites with two basal lines, elevated area between basal lines with scattered punctures. Punctation of visible tergites much coarser than that on elytra. Surface without microsculpture; setation similar to that on elytra.

Male. Unknown to the author.

Female. Protarsomeres 1-3 moderately dilated, each covered with modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 narrower than preceding ones. Tergite X (Fig. 57), gonocoxite of female genital segment (Fig. 58).

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s Hesperus obscurior is similar to H. meyeri from which it may be distinguished by the denser and finer punctation of elytra and by the dark abdomen, from H. fraternus by the longer elytra and coarser punctation of abdomen, from H. puncticeps by the shorter eyes and paler femora.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Ethiopia ( HERMAN 2001).