Uloma clamensae L. Soldati

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 : 139-141

Uloma clamensae L. Soldati sp. n. Figs 3 C–D, 4A, B, C, D, E

Type specimens.

Holotype male, pinned, with genitalia glued on the same card as the specimen itself. Original label: “Nouvelle-Calédonie, Putchaté, Atéu, 23.IV.2009, E. Baby leg. / 20°59.39'S, 164°54.04'E, ca 370 m alt." / Uloma clamensae m. n. sp. L. Soldati det. 2013, HOLOTYPE ♂ (red printed label) (MNHN); Paratypes, same data as Holotype: one female (MNHN), one male (CS).

Diagnosis.

Uloma clamensae is closely related to Uloma condaminei sp. n. The two species are so similar that the only reliable way to separate them is to compare their male genitalia. Uloma clamensae and Uloma condaminei can also be distinguished from all the other Uloma species of New Caledonia by the unique structure of the mentum in the male: the mentum pilosity is reduced to two apical hair tufts on each side (Fig. 6 F–G).

In the case of isolated females, the geographic distribution may distinguish Uloma clamensae from Uloma condaminei .

Description.

Length 9.0-9.5 mm; width 3.2-3.5 mm. Shining, pitchy dark brown. Antennae, mouthparts, legs and elytra reddish-brown.

Head (Fig. 3E).

Male: Transverse, genae straight in front of the eyes, then continuous in curved line with the clypeus. Frontoclypeal suture superficially impressed. Frons and clypeus fused, with shagreened dull surface, covered with extremely fine, sparse and barely visible punctures. Vertex convex, shining and separated from the frons by a transverse depression that extends behind the eyes. Tempora (densely) and vertex (sparsely) coarsely punctured.

Female: in contrast to male, frontoclypeal area finely and quite densely punctate over a shining background. Frontoclypeal suture shallowly impressed.

Antennae (Fig. 4E) gradually becoming transverse and expanded from antennomere 5. Antennomeres 5-9 flattened with apices more or less protruding in middle, especially 7th.

Mentum of the male (Fig. 4C) cordate, with two oblique lateral grooves near the base and two apical dense hair tufts, all arranged symmetrically in relation to midline; disc slightly concave longitudinally, unpunctured and shining. Male mentum of Uloma clamensae is similar to the one of Uloma condaminei (see Fig. 6 F–G). Female mentum cordate but narrower, not transverse, with the two oblique lateral grooves merging at base to form a U-shape in between, disc flat, smooth and shining, without punctation.

Pronotum: about 1.2 times wider than long, sides subparallels, widest around the middle. Rim on the anterior margin at middle usually obliterated, sometimes slightly visible; base unmargined, with exception of two very short folds located at the level of the two concave curves of external margin. Anterior angles 90°but smooth at the top and slightly protruding forward, posterior angles obtuse. Lateral rims becoming progressively thinner from the base toward the anterior angles. Whole upper surface of the pronotum very finely punctate, sparser on the disc but denser on the sides.

Male: antero-median depression of pronotum well impressed, not reaching half of pronotal length, its posterior edge arcuate and delimited by four very faint elevations. The lateral bumps anterolaterally bordering the depression low and not projecting to anterior edge. Interior of depression somewhat more strongly punctate than rest of pronotal surface.

Female: pronotum regularly convex, without antero-median depression and overall finely punctate.

Prosternal process in lateral view obliquely bent beneath procoxae.

Elytra quite convex, humeral angles of lateral margin protruding. Lateral margin barely visible in dorsal view except around middle. Each elytron bears nine grooved and punctured striae and a faint scutellary striole. Strial punctures slightly wider than grooves. Elytral intervals nearly flat on disc and becoming slightly convex laterally and toward apex, covered with fine and superficial punctation.

Metaventrite short, length between meso- and metacoxae less than half the length of mesocoxa.

Abdomen. Abdominal ventrites 1-4 (Fig. 4C) finely and superficially punctate on a narrow median longitudinal strip. On each side of this longitudinal strip, punctation becomes progressively larger and sparser toward the sides and the integument’s surface is slightly striate longitudinally. The apical ventrite covered with fine scattered punctation, its outer margin without rim.

Legs. Anterior tibiae (Fig. 4D) without carina on their upper face and strongly notched at the base of nearly half the length of inner side.

Aedeagus: tergal face (Fig. 3C), with basal two-thirds of parameres bottleneck-shaped, then abruptly enlarged and securiform at the apex. In lateral view (Fig. 3D), parameres bisinuate and narrowed toward apex.

Etymology.

This new species is named after A.-L. Clamens, biologist and member of the "All Blaps" team.

Distribution.

Uloma clamensae is currently only known only from its type locality in New Caledonia.