Hister erbelingi, Mazur, 2008

Mazur, Sławomir, 2008, Hister erbelingi sp. n., a new Hister-species (Coleoptera: Histeridae) from Kenya, Baltic Journal of Coleopterology 8 (2), pp. 97-100 : 97-98

Hister erbelingi sp. n. ( Figs. 1 - 10)

Body ( Fig. 1) oval, convex, black and shiny. Forehead ( Fig. 2) flat, with two shallow and indistinct foveae laterally. Frontal stria complete, subcariniform, straight or feebly outwardly arcuate at middle. Labrum wide, a little incised at base. Mandibles concave, their external margin strongly elevated. Scapus and funiculus pitchbrown, antennal club tomentose, with two transverse sutures.

Pronotum rounded laterally. Marginal pronotal stria complete at sides ( Fig. 3), widely interrupted behind the head. Lateral pronotal striae strongly incised, sinuous at sides. The outer one a little abbreviated basally, the inner one complete behind the head, reaching to the posterior angles. Epipleura a little concave, with some large punctures, ciliate.

Elytral epipleural fossete flat or feebly concave. Both marginal striae complete, a little carinate. An additional stria also present at apical half between marginal striae. Oblique humeral stria very thin and indistinct, present on basal 1/3. Inner subhumeral stria incised and crenate, present on apical 2/3. Dorsal striae deeply incised, crenulate, 1 - 3 complete, the 4th one less distinctly marked, more or less abbreviated basally. Sutural stria shortened basally and apically, present at middle.

Pygidial segments a little convex. Propygidium very densely covered with round punctures (0.1 - 1.0). Interspaces among the coarse punctures intermingled with ground punctulation. Pygidial punctation similar to the propygidial one.

Prosternal lobe rounded, doubly margined, the outer marginal stria less marked and widely interrupted anteriorly. Disc finely punctulate, more coarsely at sides. Prosternal keel finely and rarely punctulate.

Mesosternum ( Fig. 5) truncate anteriorly, extremely finely and rarely punctulate. Marginal stria complete and incised, not reaching the mesometasternal suture. There are also two short, additional striae in anterolateral angles. Mesometasternal suture finely marked. Metasternum as punctulate as mesosternum. Median line distinct and incised. Transverse line at metasternal apex very thin and indistinct. Lateral metasternal stria subcariniform, abbreviated apically, reaching to 2/3 of metasternal length. Lateral disc of metasternum covered with large and round punctures, intermingled with the small ones.

Intercoxal disc of 1st abdominal segment distinctly margined laterally.

Male genitalia as shown in Figs. 6 - 10. Legs as colored as body. Foretibia ( Fig. 4) with 3 spiny dents at outer margin (the apical one bifid). Mid- and hindtibia with two rows of numerous spinules at outer margin.

Length: total 6.0 - 8.0 mm. PE: 4.8 - 5.5 mm. Width: 4.2 - 5.0 mm.

Material examined: Holotype, Male , [ Kenya] Kenia, Masai Mara, Wildreservat, 4- 8.04.1990, leg. U. Schmidt ( CHLE).

Paratype: Female, as labeled as the holotype ( CHSM) .

Differential diagnosis. Very similar to Hister rectisternus Marseul from Senegal from which it differs by longer 4th dorsal stria, presence of ground pygidial punctulation and shortened lateral metasternal stria.

Derivatio nominis. This species is dedicated to Dr Ludwig Erbeling in appreciation of his longstanding cooperation.