Hesperus puncticeps BERNHAUER 1928

Hromádka, L., 2012, Revision of the Afrotropical species of the genus Hesperus FAUVEL (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Philonthina), Linzer biologische Beiträge 44 (1), pp. 551-589 : 571-572

Hesperus puncticeps BERNHAUER 1928 (64-65)

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: Entebbe , Uganda, 15.-22. June,1912, C. C. Cowdey 1912- 462 // Hesperus puncticeps Bernhauer, 1928 [ochre oblong label handwritten] ( FMNH). Cotype: same label data as holotype, Chicago NHMus M. Bernhauer collection ( FMNH).

R e d e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 10.4 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 5.6 mm.

C o l o u r a t i o n: Head and pronotum black, with golden reflex, scutellum and abdomen black, elytra red. Maxillary and labial palpi yellow-brown, base of antennomere 2

yellow-brown, remaining antennomeres black-brown, femora, tibiae and tarsomere 1 of all tarsi black- brown, slightly paler distally.

Head wider than long (ratio 44: 39), parallel-sided, posterior angles obtusely rounded, bearing one long and several short black bristles. Clypeus with four punctures medially, arranged in shape of a square. Wide impunctate midline V-shaped, each side with several irregular coarse punctures. Eyes shorter than temples (ratio 11: 21). Temporal area with several coarse puncures. Surface with microsculpture consisting of transverse waves.

Antennae short, reaching anterior margin of pronotum when reclined. Antennomeres 1-3 and 11 longer than wide, antennomere 4 as long as wide, antennomeres 5-10 distinctly wider than long.

Pronotum as long as wide, distinctly narrowed posteriad. Anterior angles rounded, with many punctures, posterior angles markedly rounded, base straight. With wide impunctate midline. Each dorsal row with ten approximately equidistant punctures, each sublateral row with three punctures, arranged in a row parallel to dorsal row and half way between it and side. Surface with microsculpture similar to that on head.

Scutellum very densely and coarsely punctate. Punctures much larger than eye-facets, separated by less than puncture diameter in transverse direction.

Elytra longer than wide (ratio 52: 49), parallel-sided, punctation finer and sparser than those on scutellum. Diameter of punctures slightly larger than eye-facets, separated mostly by a puncture diameter in transverse direction. Surface without microsculpture; setation similar to that on elytra.

Legs. Metatibia as long as metatarsus, metatarsomere 1 slightly longer than metatarsomere 5.

Abdomen wide, slightly narrowed from visible tergite 3 anteriad and posteriad. First three visible tergites with two basal lines, elevated area between basal lines coarsely and densely punctate. Punctation of visible tergites denser than that on elytra. Surface without microsculpture; setation similar to that on elytra.

Male. Unknown to the author.

Female. Protarsomeres 1-3 slightly dilated, each covered with modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 narrower than preceding ones. Tergite X (Fig. 64), gonocoxite of female genital segment (Fig. 65).

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s Hesperus puncticeps is similar to H. obscurior from which it may be distinguished by the longer eyes and darker femora.

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