Pseudonthobium foveolatum Montreuil & Théry, 2011

Montreuil, Olivier & Théry, Thomas, 2011, Revision of the New Caledonian genus Pseudonthobium Paulian, 1984 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Epilissini), Zootaxa 2863, pp. 49-62 : 59-60

Pseudonthobium foveolatum Montreuil & Théry , new species

Habitus: Fig. 8 .

Type specimen. Holotype female: NEW CALEDONIA, Forêt de Thy, 21 May 1984, Monteith leg., 22°11’S 166°32’E, rainforest, 150m, litter [ MNHN].

Description (female). 4.5 mm. Reddish-brown, setae yellowish-brown. Tegument dull.

Head. Frons flat, clypeus feebly depressed at middle. Clypeus bidentate, lateral margins subconvex.

Pronotum. Base strongly bilobate, feebly concave at middle, obliquely divergent and straight on each side. Posterior angles obtuse. Lateral margin straight, anteriorly feebly convergent to strongly convergent. Anterior angles not sharp.

Elytra. Anterior inner margin straight, suddenly projected obliquely from base of 5th stria to fit basal margin of pronotum. Side of elytra evenly curved anteriorly, curve interrupted near middle and weaker beyond giving elytra elongate appearance.

8th tergite. Smooth with fine, superficial punctation.

Sternites. Last sternite strongly enlarged; tegument microreticulate, covered with superficial punctation similar to that on 8th tergite. Other sternites normally developed, strongly microreticulate, dull, punctate only on sides.

Legs. Outer margin of protibia without basal tooth. Inner margin of protibia normal.

Notes. The male of P. foveolatum is unknown. This new species is similar to P. fracticolle in size and by the presence of a depression near the middle of each elytron, but can be separated by its slightly larger body size, larger and deeper elytral depression, basal lobes of the pronotum projected posteriorly more distinctly, and by the shape of elytra being markedly elongate.

Distribution. This species is known only from the Thy Forest in southeast New Caledonia. Etymology. This species is named for the deep elytral depressions.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 9. Habitus of Pseudonthobium. 1, P. fracticolloides Paulian, male; 2, P. doense n. sp., male; 3, P. genieri n. sp., male; 4, P. sinuatotibiale n. sp., male; 5, P. humboldtense n. sp., male; 6, P. paniense n. sp., male; 7, P. monteithianum n. sp., male; 8, P. foveolatum n. sp., female; 9, P. fracticolle (Fauvel), male. Scale bar: 1 mm.