Uloma condaminei 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 : 142-144

Uloma condaminei L. Soldati sp. n. Figs 3 E–F, 5A, B, C, D, E, 6 F–G

Type specimens.

Holotype male, pinned, with genitalia glued on the same card as the specimen itself. Original label: “Nouvelle-Calédonie, Roches de Ouaième, 2.XI.2010, H. Jourdan & C. Mille leg. / 20°38.333'S, 164°52.092'E ca 680 m alt." / Uloma condaminei m. n. sp. L. Soldati det. 2013, HOLOTYPE ♂ (red printed label) (MNHN); Allotype female. Original label: “Nouvelle-Calédonie, Roches de Ouaième, 2.XI.2010, H. Jourdan & C. Mille leg. / 20°38.283'S, 164°52.010'E, ca 700 m alt." / Uloma condaminei m. n. sp. L. Soldati det. 2013, ALLOTYPE ♀ (red printed label) (MNHN); Paratypes: one male (MNHN), one male and one female (CS): “Nouvelle-Calédonie, Roches de Ouaième, 4.XI.2010, H. Jourdan & C. Mille leg. / 20°38.567'S, 164°51.607'E, ca 800 m alt." / Uloma condaminei m. n. sp. L. Soldati det. 2013; Paratypes: one male (CS), one male (HNHM) one female (CBGP), “Nouvelle-Calédonie, Roches de Ouaième, 4.XI.2010, H. Jourdan & C. Mille leg. / 20°38.333'S, 164°51.947'E, ca 750 m alt."/ Uloma condaminei m. n. sp. L. Soldati det. 2013; Paratype: one male (CBGP) “Nouvelle-Calédonie, Roches de Ouaième, 1.XI.2010, H. Jourdan & C. Mille leg. / 20°38.400'S, 164°52.285'E ca 600 m alt." / Uloma condaminei m. n. sp. L. Soldati det. 2013.

Diagnosis.

As underlined beforehand, Uloma condaminei is morphologically closely related to Uloma clamensae sp. n. It is also morphologically related to Uloma paniei Kaszab, 1982 and Uloma robusta Kaszab, 1986 with whom it shares a similar type of aedeagus. Uloma condaminei can be distinguished from the former two by looking at the pilosity of the mentum. In Uloma condaminei , mentum’s pilosity is reduced to two apical hair tufts on each sides (Fig. 6 F–G) while in Uloma paniei and in Uloma robusta the sides of the mentum are completely fringed, from the lateral grooves to the anterior edge. Furthermore, the basal notch at the inner side of the anterior tibiae is larger and deeper (more than one-third of the inner side total length). The average size of Uloma condaminei is also smaller (8.0-10.0 mm instead of 10.5-12.2 mm).

Description.

Length 8.0-10 mm; width 3.2-4.0 mm. Shining, pitchy dark brown. Antennae, mouthparts, legs and sometimes elytra reddish-brown.

Head: (Fig. 5E) Male: Transverse, genae rounded and continuous in curved line with the clypeus. Frontoclypeal suture not grooved. Frons and clypeus fused in a flat shagreened and dull surface covered with extremely fine, sparse and barely visible punctures. Vertex convex and separated from the frons by a light transverse depression that links the tempora together behind the eyes. Tempora (densely) and vertex (sparsely) coarsely punctured. Female: contrary to the male, the frontoclypeal area is finely punctate and shining and, at the location of the suture, there is a slight curved depression.

Antennae (Fig. 5E) gradually becoming transverse and expanded from antennomere 5. Antennomeres 5-7 flattened with the apical edges more or less lobate and dull.

Mentum (Figs 6 F–G) similar to Uloma clamensae , cordate, flat, with two oblique lateral grooves near the base and two apical dense hair tufts (Fig. 6F), all arranged symmetrically in relation to midline; disc unpunctured and shining. In the female, the mentum’s shape is rounder, the two oblique lateral grooves are closer, longer and deeper so that the midline appears to be convex and the anterior emargination very light.

Pronotum: about 1.2 times wider than long, sides weakly arcuate, widest around the middle. Rim on the anterior margin disappears completely on a short length in the middle; base unrimmed, with exception of two 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 ones obtuse. Lateral rims becoming progressively thinner from the base toward the anterior angles. Whole upper surface of the pronotum finely and densely 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 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 in the middle. Each elytron bears nine grooved striae of punctures and a faint scutellary striole. Strial punctures are 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 (Fig. 5C), between meso- and metacoxae about as long as the length of a mesocoxa.

Abdominal ventrites 1-4 (Fig. 5C) finely and densely 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 anal ventrite finely and sparsely punctate, its outer margin without rim, except a very short fold on both sides, just in front of the base.

Anterior tibiae (Fig. 5D) with only a faint trace of carina on their upper surface and strongly notched at base of at least one-third of the length of the inner side.

Aedeagus: on tergal face (Fig. 3E), the basal two-third of the parameres are bottleneck-shaped, then suddenly enlarged and truncate at the apex. In lateral view (Fig. 3F), parameres are bisinuate and narrowed toward apex.

Etymology.

This new species is named after our friend and colleague Dr. F.L. Condamine who was a PhD student at the time we prospected in New Caledonia. He is also a member of the "All Blaps" team.

Distribution.

Uloma condaminei is currently known only from New Caledonia where it is endemic.