Hesperus schedli SCHEERPELTZ 1956

Hromádka, L., 2012, Revision of the Afrotropical species of the genus Hesperus FAUVEL (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Philonthina), Linzer biologische Beiträge 44 (1), pp. 551-589 : 572-573

Hesperus schedli SCHEERPELTZ 1956 (Figs 66-67)

T y p e m a t e r i a l: Holotype: Democratic Republic of the Congo [#Belgisch-Kongo’], Hembe Bitale , 11.viii.1952, Dr. Schedl, //TYPUS Hesperus schedli O. Scheerpeltz , [red oblong printed label ( MRAC).

R e d e s c r i p t i o n: Body length 11.4 mm, length of fore body (to end of elytra) 5.2 mm.

C o l o u r a t i o n: Body black, pronotum vaguely golden iridescent, mandibles, maxillary and labial palpi, and femora brown-black, base of antennomere 2 yellow-brown, remaining antennomeres black.

Head transverse, wider than long (ratio 37: 30), parallel-sided, posterior angles bluntly rounded, bearing two long and several short bristles. Eyes as long as temples, inner margin with several punctures, between eyes eight coarse punctures. From posterior margin of eyes in an oblique line almost to middle of neck and temporal area with coarse punctures. Middle of head impunctate. Surface with microsculpture consisting of transverse waves.

Antennae long, reaching posterior margin of pronotum when reclined, antennomeres 1-6 and 11 longer than wide, antennomeres 7-10 as long as wide. Antennomere 1 twice as long as antennomere 11, antennomere 2 as long as antennomere 3.

Pronotum longer than wide (ratio 42: 39), anterior angles rectangular, conspicuously deflexed, vaguely bluntly rounded, with several punctures bearing short bristles, posterior angles markedly rounded, base straight. Each dorsal row with twelve coarse punctures, with wide impunctate midline, each side with scattered coarse punctures. Surface with distinct microsculpture similar to that on head.

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

Elytra as long as wide, very slightly widened posteriad. Punctation coarse and dense, punctures as large as that on scutellum, separated by a puncture diameter, or less here and there. Surface between punctures without microsculpture; setation greyish.

Legs. Metatarsus shorter than metatibia (ratio 32: 35), metatarsomere 1 longer than metatarsomere 5, as long as metatarsomeres 2 and 3 combined.

Abdomen very gradually narrowed posteriad, first three visible tergites with two basal lines, elevated area between lines punctate. Punctation of visible tergites much finer than that on elytra. Separated by a puncture diameter or slightly more. Surface without microsculpture; setation similar to that on elytra.

Male. Unknown to the author.

Female. Protarsomeres 1-3 relatively slightly dilated and sub-bilobed, each covered with modified pale setae ventrally, protarsomere 4 narrower than preceding ones. Tergite X (Fig. 66), gonocoxite of female genital segment (Fig. 67).

C o m p a r a t i v e n o t e s Hesperus schedli is similar to H. gridellianus , but may be distinguished by the longer antennae and eyes, and not iridescent abdomen.

D i s t r i b u t i o n: Democratic Republic of the Congo ( HERMAN 2001).