Uloma vanuatensis L. Soldati, 2012

Soldati, Laurent, Kergoat, Gael J. & Condamine, Fabien L., 2012, Preliminary report on the Tenebrionidae (Insecta, Coleoptera) collected during the SANTO 2006 expedition to Vanuatu, with description of a new species of the genus Uloma Dejean, 1821, Zoosystema 34 (2), pp. 305-317 : 308-312

Genus Uloma Dejean, 1821

Uloma vanuatensis L. Soldati n. sp. ( Figs1-3 )

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype: Vanuatu, Santo Isl. , Luganville, CETRAV in Saraoutou, 2-10.X. 2006, 30 m alt., 15°27’05”S, 167°11’04”E, leg. L. Soldati, ♂ ( MNHN EC2280 ).

Paratypes (7 ♀♀, 3 ♂♂): same data as holotype, 1 ♀ ( MNHN EC2281). — Santo Isl., Saraoutou, littoral forest, rotten log, 9-10.X.2006, 15°26’38”S, 167°12’52”E, leg. L. Soldati, 2 ♀♀ ( CBGP), 1 ♂ and 1 ♀ (Coll. LS). — Espiritu Santo Isl., Big Bay, Matantas, Vatthe Area Conservation, 12-17.X.2006, leg. L. Soldati, 2 ♀♀ ( MNHN EC2282- EC2283), 1 ♂ (coll. LS) and 1 ♀ paratype ( CBGP). — Uloma n. sp. aff. cavifrons Kasz. Santo, Zoltán Kaszab det., 1 ♂ ( HNHM).

DISTRIBUTION. — This Uloma is currently known only from the island of Espiritu Santo in the Vanuatu archipelago, where it may be endemic.

ETYMOLOGY. — This new species is named in reference to its origin, the Vanuatu archipelago.

DIAGNOSE. — Uloma vanuatensis L. Soldati n. sp. belongs to a characteristic New Guinean species-group. It is closely related to Uloma bituberosa Kirsch, 1875 . It has the same very characteristic type of aedeagus, found in U. bituberosa and its subspecies hamata Gebien, 1920 described from New Guinea, New Pomerania (now New Britain, the largest of the Bismarck Islands) and Palau ( Gebien 1920), and sydneyana Kaszab, 1982, described from Sydney, Australia ( Kaszab 1982a). However, it clearly differs from U. bituberosa and its subspecies by the presence of two conical tubercles on the clypeus in males ( Fig. 2B ) and the different shape of the pronotum ( Fig. 1D ), whose bumps on the sides of the anterior impression of males are much lower: they are not projected forward up to the front edge or beyond it, and they are not hook-shaped inwards.

DESCRIPTION

Length 10-11.5 mm; width 3.5- 4 mm. Pitchy dark brown, sometimes slightly reddish (teneral specimens), brilliant. Antennae, mouthparts, legs and prosternal apophysis reddish-brown.

Head ( Fig. 2B )

Transverse,genae narrower than eyes, first subparallel in a very short distance, then obliquely narrowed in curved line forward up to the clypeo-genal suture, which is limited laterally by two short faint grooves and disappears completely in the middle, in the area that normally separates the front from the clypeus. Clypeus transversely enlarged, swollen (standing out from frons despite absence of visible suture) and its anterior edge slightly concave.

Male:vertex sloping steeply forward and separated from front by a transverse depression as wide as space between eyes. Frons plane with a slight impression in front in the middle, in area of contact with the clypeal bead. Clypeus densely covered with tangled microgranulation and adorned with two small conical tubercles ( Fig. 2B , tub), between them with a narrow arc-shaped strip ( Fig. 2B , st) whose microchagreened/matte surface contrasts sharply with the shiny rest of upper head. Punctuation is very fine, sparse and superficial in the middle of frons and becomes progressively denser on genae and toward clypeus, and stronger and coarser on the temporae.

Female: vertex coarsely punctate, convex and separated from temporae and frons by a transverse depression more or less pronounced, but still clearly visible. Contrary to ♂, frons is also convex transversely and much more strongly punctate. Clypeus also swollen, but its surface only punctate, smooth and shiny, neither with conical tubercles nor microgranulation.

Antennae ( Fig. 2A ) without notable features, antennomeres gradually becoming transverse and expanded from antennomere5 which is slightly asymmetrical. Mentum ( Fig. 2A ) heart-shaped, smooth and covered with coarse but shallow punctuation, with distinct midlongitudinal triangular depression, deepest anteriorly and gradually becoming shallower backward, and two short oblique lateral grooves near the base, arranged symmetrically in relation to midline.

Pronotum

1.3 times wider than long, sides weakly arcuate, almost parallel, widest at basal third. Rim on the anterior margin disappears completely in the middle; base immarginated, with exception of two small folds located at the level of the two concave curves of external margin and the posterior angles. Anterior angles smooth and slightly protruding forward, posterior ones obtuse. Whole upper surface of the pronotum very finely and regularly punctate, slightly denser on the sides.

A B C

Male: antero-median depression of pronotum rather moderate, shallow, not reaching half of pronotal length and becoming gradually shallower toward posterior end in circular arch without any granule to delimit its posterior edge. The lateral bumps that initiate the depression’s sides forward are quite low, not projected to anterior edge and simply sloping inwards, without forming lamellar hook-shaped expansions. Bottom of depression somewhat more strongly punctate than rest of pronotal surface.

Female: pronotum regularly convex, without antero-median depression. Prosternal apophysis in lateral view regularly curved beneath anterior coxae.

Elytra

Elytra quite flattened on disc, sides parallel, humeral angles right but rounded at the top. Lateral margin visible only in anterior half in dorsal view. Each elytron bears nine grooved striae of punctures and a scutellar striola. Strial punctures are slightly wider than grooves. Elytral intervals nearly flat on disc and becoming convex laterally and toward apex, covered with extremely fine and superficial punctuation.

Abdomen

Abdominal ventrites ( Fig.3B ) very finely and densely punctate on a narrow mid-longitudinal strip and on the entire anal ventrite where punctuation becomes progressively bigger and sparser. On each side of this longitudinal strip, surface of ventrites 1-4 is finely microshagreened and striate longitudinally.Moreover, each ventrite is dotted with porous punctures mainly concentrated on leading edge. The terminal ventrite without lateral microshagreened and striate areas, but porous punctures present, and its outer margin very finely bordered except on both sides,in front of the base. Anterior tibiae ( Fig. 3A ) carinate on their upper surface up to the middle and slightly excavated at base on the inner side.

Aedeagus:on tergal face ( Fig. 1F ), parameres parallel in basal half, then suddenly narrowed and pointed toward apex;base triangular backwards.In lateral view ( Fig. 1E ), apical half of parameres strongly curved.

REMARKS

Uloma vanuatensis L. Soldati n. sp., like all its congeners, is a saproxylic insect living and developing beneath bark and in decaying wood. Unfortunately, neither the larvae nor the food preferences (type of tree species) are known.

Figures

FIG. 1. — Uloma vanuatensis L. Soldati n. sp.holotype ♂ (MNHN EC2280):A, habitus (dorsal view);B, habitus (lateral view); C, habitus (ventral view); D, forebody (lateral view); E, aedeagus (lateral view); F, aedeagus (tergal face). Scale bars: A-C, 10 mm; D-F, 1 mm. Photographs: L. Soldati.

FIG. 2. — Uloma vanuatensis L. Soldati n. sp. holotype ♂ (MNHN EC2280): A, head (ventral view);B, head (dorsal view).Abbreviations: tub, conical tubercle; st, arc-shaped strip. Scale bars: A, 1.5 mm; B, 1 mm. Photographs L. Soldati.

FIG. 3. — Uloma vanuatensis L. Soldati n. sp. holotype ♂ (MNHN EC2280):A, anterior tibia (upper face);B, metathorax and abdomen (ventralview).Scalebars:A,0,.5 mm;B,1 mm.Photographs:L.Soldati.