Blaps maldesi Soldati, 2017

Laurent Soldati, Fabien L. Condamine, Anne-Laure Clamens & Gael J. Kergoat, 2017, Documenting tenebrionid diversity: progress on Blaps Fabricius (Coleoptera, Tenebrionidae, Tenebrioninae, Blaptini) systematics, with the description of Fve new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 282, pp. 1-29 : 12-15

Blaps maldesi Soldati sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:ECAD95F0-9469-4AA3-824D-960F20F3DD15

Fig. 3A–I

Etymology

This species is named in honor of Jean-Michel Maldes, friend and colleague, entomologist at the CIRAD, specialist in Asilidae (Diptera) , who discovered this new species of Blaps while prospecting in the Aures mountain range.

Material examined

Holotype

ALGERIA: ♂, “Algérie, Mif Aurès, S’Gag, 1900 m, 19.VI.1981 / ALGERIE J. M. MALDES / Blaps maldesi m. n. sp., L. Soldati 2015, HOLOTYPE” (MNHN).

Allotype

ALGERIA: ♀, “S’Gag, 2000 m, Ras Gueddelane, Mif des Aurès, 18.VI.1981 / ALGERIE J. M. MALDES / Blaps maldesi m. n. sp., L. Soldati 2015” (MNHN).

Paratype

ALGERIA: 1 ♂, “Sgag (Aurès) / Blaps maldesi m. n. sp., L. Soldati 2015, PARATYPE” (CS).

Description

Length: 29.0–35.0 mm; width: 10.0–15.0 mm. Dull to semi-gloss black. Oval-oblong ( Fig. 3A–C ). Upper surface covered with very fne and sparse punctures, denser on head and pronotum.

HEAD. Clypeus arcuately emarginated, with lateral angles right and protruding frontwards, leaving clypeo-labial membrane partially visible. Clypeo-frontal suture reduced to thin, superfcially engraved gloss line. Middle of frons (disc) with faint transverse depression. Mentum transverse, punctate and slightly impressed in middle of anterior edge. Gula microshagreened, matte. Labium deeply notched in middle of front edge.

ANTENNAE. Medium size, not reaching pronotal base when directed backwards ( Fig. 3D ).

PRONOTUM. Broadest in its middle, sides narrowed almost in straight line posteriorly, sinuated before posterior angles and arcuately narrowed toward front. Anterior angles rounded. Posterior angles obtuse and blunt. External rim fne, complete on lateral margins, but briefy obliterated in middle of front edge and base. Disc quite convex. Punctation fne, uniform. Carina of anterior foramen of pronotum thick and neck-shaped below. Episternum of prosternum wrinkled near coxae and obliterate toward sides. Prosternal apophysis vertically bent just behind anterior coxae, then fat and non-protruding posteriorly.

ELYTRA. Ovoid, broadest around its middle, fat on disc. Upper surface leathery and covered with extremely fne and sparse punctures. Pseudopleural carina only visible on anterior half from above because of transversal convexity of elytra. Caudal extension at apex of elytra (mucro) measuring less than 2.0 mm. Deep suture of mucro fanked by two thick, coarsely transversely wrinkled ribs, converging toward apex, apex ends in narrow apical gap ( Fig. 3E ). In lateral view, mucro regularly sloping up to apex ( Fig. 3F ). Below, mucro regularly excavated, with sharp external edges and bottom transversally wrinkled.

ABDOMEN. Ventrites wrinkled-punctate; anal ventrite densely punctate, especially along external rim, external rim complete and quite thick. In one case (paratype), external rim of anal ventrite shortly interrupted in middle of apex.

LEGS. Protibiae long and fexuous, especially in males. Mesotibiae curved. Inner face of pro- and mesotibiae widely grooved. Tarsi elongated; claws long. Hind tarsi approximately as long as one half of length of corresponding tibiae.

SEXUAL DIMORPHISM. Yellow tuft of bristles between ventrites 1 and 2, and a callosity in middle of intercoxal process of ventrite 1. Callosity directed backwards, with some oblique folds on front side. Elytra slightly larger than pronotum in males. In lateral view, posterior declivity of elytra steep in males and subvertical in females. Mucro longer in males (1.5–2.0 mm) than in females (0.5 mm) ( Fig. 3E, G ). Seem from above, mucro triangularly narrowed in males and acuminate in females. Rear edges of median and especially hind tibiae strongly denticulate in males. Male metatibiae fexuous and shallowly emarginated on inner face; female metatibiae straight and simple.

AEDEAGUS. Parameres bottleneck-shaped on sternal face ( Fig. 3H ), with apex acuminate. In lateral view ( Fig. 3I ), parameres thick and convex at base, then narrowed almost in a straight line up to apex.

Bionomics

The three known specimens were taken in the cedar forest of S’Gag (Algeria).

Distribution

Algeria. This species is currently known only from the type locality of S’Gag in the Aurès region.

Remarks

This species belongs to the Blaps emondi species group (sensu Condamine et al. 2011). It is morphologically most similar to B. teocchii sp. nov. from Tunisia. Blaps maldesi sp. nov. is most clearly separated from B. teocchii sp. nov. by having shorter antennae and tarsi, a wider pronotum and by the presence of a tuft of yellow bristles between abdominal ventrites 1 and 2. Until now, these two species have passed unnoticed in the collections because they superfcially look like small specimens of other species of the emondi group, especially when the specimens are prepared in the old-fashioned way, with the legs tucked under the body. Compared to other species in the emondi group, these two species are characterized by the following combination of characters: slender legs; long and fexuous fore-tibiae, with inferior face distinctly grooved; tarsi long; and bottleneck-shaped parameres of aedeagus.

Figures

Fig. 3. Blaps maldesi Soldati sp. nov. A. ♂, habitus (dorsal view). B. ♂, habitus (lateral view). C. ♂, habitus (ventral view). D. ♂, left antenna (dorsal view). E. ♂, mucro (dorsal view). F. ♂, mucro (lateral view). G. ♀, mucro (dorsal view). H. ♂, aedeagus (ventral view). I. ♂, aedeagus (lateral view). Scale bars: A – C = 10 mm; D = 5 mm; E – G = 2 mm; H – I = 1 mm.