Uloma schawalleri, Cheong, 2025

Cheong, Loong Fah, 2025, On nomenclature and taxonomy of some Carabidae and Tenebrionidae from Singapore, with descriptions of new species of the genera Uloma Dejean, 1821 and Promethis Pascoe, 1869, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 73, pp. 233-242 : 237-239

Uloma schawalleri , new species

( Figs. 3A- E )

Type specimen. Holotype: Male, Singapore: MacRitchie, Jelutong tower, coll. L. F. Cheong, 27 November 2019.

Measurements. Male (n = 1): BL: 9.6 mm; BW: 3.7 mm; IE/TD: 2.23; PW/PL: 1.39; PW/FW 1.84; EL/EW: 1.52.

Description. Colour dark reddish brown; for body shape see Fig. 3A . Head: Clypeus without an elevated transverse ridge and without horns, truncate at apex, minutely punctate; frontoclypeal suture finely incised and distinct laterally, obscure in middle; frons with a broad Y-shaped depression in middle, surface with large and irregular punctures; genae produced laterad. Antennae ( Fig. 3B ) reaching before middle of pronotum; middle antennomeres not produced medially nor pointed medially on distal margin, the latter sharp; antennomeres V to X gradually widening; VII to X extremely transverse; XI semicircular. Mentum ( Fig. 3C ) rounded at apex, with basolateral excavations 0.5 times the length of mentum and separated at base, bearing a weak medial impression, and with long arcuate stretch of pubescence on both sides of the median impression. Ligula with a few sparse setae. Pronotum roundly quadrate, convex, widest at middle, as wide as elytra at base; anterior impression broad and deep, with a pair of low protuberances on posterior margin of impression; surface with small and dense punctures, punctation slightly coarser and denser in the anterior impression, surface between punctures with microscopic punctures; anterior margin emarginate, narrowly beaded; lateral margin arcuate, narrowly beaded, with a distinct sulcus along the margin; basal margin unbeaded. Prosternum longitudinally and strongly elevated in middle, coarsely punctate at both sides of the elevation which is

Cheong: Nomenclature and taxonomy of Carabidae and Tenebrionidae finely punctate; prosternal process gradually dilated posteriad, adunc in apical half, distinctly sulcate along lateral margins, moderately punctate. Scutellum subtriangular, with minute punctures in basal half. Elytra subparallel-sided, widest at apical third; striate-punctate, punctures small but somewhat broader than the corresponding striae; elytral intervals convex, with microscopic punctures. Mesoventrite coarsely and densely punctate, with V-shaped ridge nearly vertical. Metaventrite convex, flattened and microscopically punctate in middle, coarsely punctate laterally. Last abdominal ventrite unbeaded. Protibia with a distinct longitudinal row of granules on dorsal side ( Fig. 3D ). Aedeagus ( Fig. 3E ) with parameres strongly convergent in middle, narrow and beak-shaped at apices.

Female unknown.

Distribution. Singapore.

Diagnosis. Among the group of species with a distinct longitudinal row of granules on the dorsal side of protibia in males, Uloma schawalleri , new species, is most similar to U. nyctelia Ando in Ando et al., 2017 from Borneo and U. spinipes Kaszab, 1975 from Bhutan and Nepal, with their mentums all having distinct basolateral impressions and arcuate fields of pubescence on the surface. U. nyctelia differs from U. schawalleri , new species, as follows: (1) male mentum sharply truncate at apex, with basolateral excavations connected at base; (2) aedeagus with parameres less strongly convergent in middle, apices less slender; (3) distal five protibial teeth equally large. U. spinipes differs from U. schawalleri , new species, as follows: (1) male mentum more rounded in shape, with a very long and narrow field of pubescence placed just within the lateral margin; (2) parameres with a long narrow tip.

Remarks. Other Uloma species in this group can be readily separated by the shape and structure of the mentum in males. Specifically, with respect to the surface of mentum in males, U. masumotoi Schawaller, 2000 (Sumatra, Borneo), U. ichoi Nakane, 1956 ( Japan), and U. sauteri Kaszab, 1941 (Taiwan) are without distinct basolateral excavations; U. palopoensis Merkl & Ando, 2018 (Sulawesi), U. pelengensis Merkl & Ando, 2018 (Sulawesi), and U. visca Schawaller, 1994 ( Philippines) are without arcuate fields of pubescence. U. sarawakensis Ando in Ando et al., 2017 (Borneo) has the male mentum distinctly raised in T-shape and sinuate at apex. Differences in the shapes of the middle antennomeres and aedeagus can be used to further aid separating U. schawalleri , new species, from these species. For instance, U. masumotoi and U. palopoensis have some of the middle antennomeres pointed medially on the distal margin. U. ichoi , U. sauteri and U. visca have the tip of parameres truncate.

Like various other species in this group (e.g. U. nyctelia , U. palopoensis , and U. sarawakensis ), the female of U. schawalleri , new species, is unknown. Based on other Uloma species in which the females are known, the anterior impression on pronotum and the row of granules on protibia should be absent in the females of U. schawalleri , new species. The presence of dense pubescence on mentum might also be a male-specific character.

The diagnosis above is partly based upon my examination of the rich type materials of Sumatran and Bornean Uloma species in SMNS, upon which the revision of Schawaller (2000) is based.

Collecting circumstances. Recorded at light traps.

Etymology. The specific name is dedicated to Dr. Wolfgang Schawaller, well-known specialist in Tenebrionidae .

Figures

Fig. 3. A–E, Uloma schawalleri, new species, holotype, male. A, habitus dorsal; B, right antenna; C, mentum; D, right protibia; E, aedeagi, dorsal (left) and lateral (right) views.