Uloma opacipennis (Fauvel, 1904)

Soldati, Laurent, Kergoat, Gael J., Clamens, Anne-Laure, Jourdan, Herve, Jabbour-Zahab, Roula & Condamine, Fabien L., 2014, Integrative taxonomy of New Caledonian beetles: species delimitation and definition of the Uloma isoceroides species group (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae, Ulomini), with the description of four new species, ZooKeys 415, pp. 133-167 : 152-153

Uloma opacipennis (Fauvel, 1904) Figs 2D, 3 O–P

Melasia opacipennis Fauvel, Revue d’Entomologie 23: 180, 182.

Uloma opacipennis Fauvel, Gebien H. 1911, Tenebrionidae III. In: Schenkling S (Ed) Coleopterorum Catalogus. Vol.18: 403.

Type locality.

Baie du Prony, Nouméa.

Type specimens.

Lectotype male of Melasia opacipennis Fauvel (IRSNB); Paralectotypes: two females of Melasia opacipennis Fauvel (IRSNB), none examined. Lectotype and Paralectotypes designated by Kaszab (1982).

Diagnosis.

Uloma opacipennis can be distinguished morphologically from all other New Caledonian species by the structure of its elytra, the integument of which is dull and shagreened, by the presence of a tooth on the underside of the head capsule on the postgenal margin, by the glabrous mentum of the male whose disc is convex between the two lateral subparallel grooves which are long and nearly reach the anterior edge, and by its characteristic aedeagus (Fig. 3O, P). Elytral striae crisp. Striae 1-3 thinner and shallower on the apical declivity. Rows of punctures dense and slightly wider than the striae. Antero-median depression of the pronotum in the male small and rounded. Pronotum finely and sparcely punctate. Male anterior tibiae slightly notched at base on the internal face. Male antennae distinctly expanded from 5th antennomere. Average size small: 7.0-7.5 mm long.

Uloma opacipennis is morphologically unrelated to the other species of the Uloma isoceroides group. That said, molecular phylogenetic analyses indicate that it is a member of the same evolutionary lineage, hence its inclusion in the species group. On a morphological point of view, all the species of the Uloma isoceroides group, except Uloma opacipennis , share the following characters: Head short and broad. Male with clypeus and frons located in the same plane, not impressed along the clypeofrontal suture, flat, with a shagreened dull surface covered with extremely fine, sparce and barely visible punctation. Metaventrite short, between median and posterior coxae approximately as long as or hardly longer than half of the length of a median coxa. Humeri slightly developed or reduced. Flightless species. On the contrary, in Uloma opacipennis the male head is normal, i. e. impressed along the clypeofrontal suture, not flattened and its surface is distinctly punctate. Metaventrite long, between median and posterior coxae longer than a median coxa. Humeri developed. Fully winged.

Distribution.

Kaszab (1982: 95) cited this species from the following localities: Mt Panié, 250 m; Houadou (Karovin, Houailou) Riv.; Col d’Amieu, 500 m; Montagne des Sources; Rivière Bleue; Mt Koghi, 450-600 m; Îles Loyauté: Lifou, Wu. "Neukaledonien (Grande Terre von NW bis SO); Loyauté (Lifou)".

Additional localities.

Mont Koghis (22°10.63'S, 166°30.49'E, ca 460 m alt.) 4.III.2008, L. Soldati, G.J. Kergoat & H. Jourdan rec. (CBGP); Mts Koghis, ca 400 m, 26 may 1984, G. Monteith & D. Cook (QM); Réserve botanique de Bois du Sud (22°10.41'S, 166°45.83'E, ca 210 m) 8.III.2008, L. Soldati, G.J. Kergoat & H. Jourdan rec. (CBGP); Parc des Grandes Fougères, Pic Vincent (21°36.16'S, 165°46.44'E, ca 690 m) 28.III.2008, L. Soldati, G. Kergoat & H. Jourdan rec. (CBGP); Réserve de Yaté Barrage (22°09.23'S, 167°53.51'E, ca 270 m) 23.X.2009, L. Soldati, G.J. Kergoat, F.L. Condamine & H. Jourdan rec. (CBGP); Roches de Ouaième (20°38.28'S, 164°52.01'E, ca 700 m) 2.XI.2010, H. Jourdan & C. Mille rec. (CBGP); Massif du Panié, La Guen (20°37.50'S, 164°46.83'E, ca 590 m) 18-25.XI.2010, H. Jourdan & C. Mille rec. (CBGP); Massif du Panié, La Guen (20°37.42'S, 164°46.85'E, ca 590 m) 20.XI.2010, H. Jourdan & C. Mille rec. (CBGP); Massif du Panié, Dawenia (20°32.26'S, 164°40.90'E, ca 630 m) 15.XI.2010, H. Jourdan & C. Mille rec. (CBGP).