Oulema mauroi Bezděk & Baselga 2015, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Bezděk, Jan
name: Baselga, Andrés
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2015
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Coleoptera
Chrysomelidae
Oulema
Oulema mauroi

description: Oulema mauroi sp. nov.
(Figs 4, 9, 14, 22, 24, 29, 31)
Type locality. Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige Region, Avio.
Type material. HOLOTYPE: ♂, ‘ TRENTINO / Val Lagarina [p] / Avio. 15.VI.950 [w, h] // Massa.- / struscio [reverse of previous label] // rufocyanea / Suffr. [w, h] // ex coll. / Brasavola [pale green, p]’ (MSNV). PARATYPES: ITALY: TRENTINO- ALTO ADIGE: 1 ♂, ‘Avio Trentino [p] / Massa 8.V. [w, h] // con lo / struscio [reverse of previous label] // ex coll./ Brasavola [pale green, p]’ (MSNV); 1♂, ‘ TRENTINO [p] / Avio / 18.VI.948 [w, h] // Massa / Struscio [reverse of previous label] // ex coll. / Brasavola [pale green, p]’ (MSNV); 1 ♀, ‘ TRENTINO [w, p] // Avio. 15.5 / Massa [reverse of previous label] // ex coll. / Brasavola [pale green, p]’ (MSNV); 1 ♂, ‘Avio Trentino [p] / Massa 10.V [w, h] // struscio [reverse of previous label] // Oulema / rufocyanea / Suff. / det. [h] Daccordi [p] ʼ84 [w, h]’ (HNHM); 1 ♀, ‘ Toblino / Trento, 300m / 11.9.67 Hbth [w, p] // Oulema / rufocyanea (Suff.) / det. Kippenberg 88 [w, h]’ (DSCR); 2 ♀♀, ‘I. Trentino / Pietramurata [w, h] // Sarca, 14.VI.69 / Kippenberg [w, h] // Oulema [p] / rufocyanea (Suff.) [h] / d. Kippenberg [w, p]’ (HKCH). VENETO: 1 ♂, ‘ Novaglie (VR) / 25-IV-1970 [h] / leg. Daccordi Mauro [w, p] // COLLEZIONE / M. DACCORDI [pale blue, p]’ (MDCV); 1 ♂, ‘ Italia 9.7. / Teolo 1962 / Dlabola [w, p]’ (NMPC); 1 ♂, ‘ Ital., Lago di Garda / Torri del Benaco / Albisano, Spighetta / 21.07.1998 D. Siede [w, p] // Lema / rufocyanea [h] / det. D. Siede 1988 [w, p]’ (DSCR); 1 ♀, 1 spec. unsexed, same data as preceding but 25.07.1998 (DSCR); 1 ♀, ‘ Prealpi Venete / dint. Marostica / IV – 72 [w, h] // COLLEZIONE / DACCORDI [w, p] // MUSEO MILANO [w, p]’ (MSNM); 2 ♂♂, ‘ VENETO [p] VR / Fumane / 19/VI/1983 [h] / l. M. Rizzotti V. [w, p] // Oulema / rufocyanea [h] / det. M. Daccordi 19 [w, p] / COLLEZIONE / DACCORDI [w, p] // MUSEO MILANO [w, p]’ (MSNM). LOMBARDIA: 1 ♂, ‘ GALBIATE (LO) / 12.V.1978 / lg. Spreatico [w, p]’ (DSCM); 1 ♂ 1 ♀, 2 spec. unsexed, ‘ Lombardia ITA / Mt. Grigna 14-VI-12 / Somana Lg. D. Sassi [w, p]’ (DSCM); 1 ♂, 27 spec. unsexed, ‘M. Grigna, Lierna / Alpe di Mezzedo, 865m / 6.IX.2014, R. Regalin leg. [w, p]’ (RRCM); 1 ♀, ‘ Mandello L. (LO) / V. Meria / 29.V.1997 / L. Regalin [w, h] // Lema / rufocyanea [h] / det. R. Regalin 19 [p] 78 [w, h]’ (RRCM); 5 spec. unsexed, ‘ LOMBARDIA, Lecco / Mandello L., Sonvico / 450 m, 28.IV.2012 / R. Regalin leg. [w, p]’ (RRCM, 1 spec. in BMNH, 1 spec. in MNCN); 3 ♂♂, 7 spec. unsexed, ‘ LOMBARDIA, Lecco / Mandello L., Sonvico / 450 m, 19.V.2012 / R. Regalin leg. [w, p]’ (RRCM, 2 spec. in BASC, 2 spec. in NMPC); 1 spec. unsexed, ‘ LOMBARDIA, Lecco / Mandello L., Sonvico / 450 m, 17.IV.2013 / R. Regalin leg. [w, p]’ (RRCM); 1 spec. unsexed, ‘ Lecco, Mandello Lario / Somana, 300 m / 17.IV.2013 / R. Regalin leg. [w, p]’ (RRCM); 1 ♀, 1 spec. unsexed, ‘ Lecco, Mandello Lario / Olcio, loc. Galdano / 320-370m, 17.IV.2013 / R. Regalin leg. [w, p]’ (RRCM); 1 ♂, 8 spec. unsexed, ‘ Lecco, Mandello Lario / Olcio, loc. Galdano / 320-370m, 15.VII.2012 / R. Regalin leg. [w, p]’ (RRCM, 2 spec. in JBCB); 1 spec. unsexed, ‘ Lecco, Mandello Lario / Olcio, loc. Galdano / 320-370m, 9.IX.2012 / R. Regalin leg. [w, p]’ (RRCM); 1♂, ‘ Lecco, Mandello Lario / Olcio, loc. Galdano / 320-370m, 19.X.2014 / R. Regalin leg. [w, p]’ (RRCM); 1 ♂, ‘ I-LOMBARDIA, Lecco / Mandello L., S. Preda / 590 m, 19.VII.2014 / R. Regalin leg. [w, p]’ (RRCM); 1 ♂ [preserved in 96% alcohol], ‘ ITALY, LC, 19.vi.2011, / Corno Medale, 400 m, / 45.8685389N- 9.3908472E, / M. Montagna leg. [w, p]’ (MMCM); 1 ♀, ‘ Gargnano / Gardasee. V. 03. [w, p] // Oulema / rufocyanea (Suff.) / det. Kippenberg 88 [w, h]’ (HKCH); 1 ♂, ‘(Lo) VII.953 / Val Ponzate [h] / coll. A. Porta [w, p] // Lema / rufocyanea [h] / det. C. Leonardi [w, p] // COLLEZIONE / MUSEO MILANO [w, p]’ (MSNM); 1 ♀, ‘ LOMBARDIA Parco Curone / LC Perego prati magri / 18.VI.2013 m. 370 / Farina leg. [w, p]’ (LFMC). The specimens are provided with additional printed red labels: ‘ HOLOTYPUS, [or PARATYPUS] / Oulema mauroi sp. nov. / det. J. Bezděk & / A. Baselga 2014’.
Description. Body length: ♂♂ 3.7–4.4 mm (holotype 4.4 mm); ♀♀ 4.2–4.6 mm.
Male (holotype, Fig. 4). Pronotum orange with slightly darkened extreme anterior and posterior margins, pronotal hypomeron orange, prosternum black.
Antennae (Fig. 14) slender, 0.57 times as long as body, length ratio of antennomeres I–XI equal to 100: 71: 100: 114: 157: 143: 143: 143: 129: 129: 186.
Pronotum (Fig. 9) as wide as long, widest in middle. Surface weakly constricted before base, constriction densely covered with fine punctures. Anterior margin nearly straight, thinly bordered, lateral margins distinctly rounded, anterior half of lateral margins moderately convergent anteriorly, posterior half convergently rounded to basal constriction.
Scutellum as wide as long, lateral margins convergent posteriorly, posterior margin shallowly emarginated.
Elytra 0.66 times as long as body, 1.81 times as long as wide in humeral part.
Tarsi. Protarsomere I elongate triangular, 1.5 times as long as broad, 0.69 times as long as two following tarsomeres combined, protarsomere II triangular, as wide as long, length ratios of protarsomeres I–IV equal to 100: 67: 78: 122. Metatarsomere I elongate triangular, 1.81 times as long as broad, 0.83 times as long as two following tarsomeres combined, length ratios of metatarsomeres I–IV equal to 100: 60: 60: 120.
Male genitalia. Aedeagus as in Fig. 24. Flagellum very thin, in lateral view rounded, apex sharp, base wide directed anteriorly; posterobasal arms long, wide basally, slender apically, turned in apical half (Fig. 22).
Female. Spermatheca (Fig. 29) with short duct heavily sclerotized in proximal two thirds forming three coils, basal third soft, in middle bent, with no specialized junction to bursa copulatrix. Nodulus poorly developed, gradually connected with cornu, as wide as cornu in middle part, cornu gradually narrowing towards apex.
Variability. Metallic colouration of elytra varies from metallic bright blue (most specimens) to metallic bluish-green or bluish-black (very rare in the population). Antennae 0.52–0.61 times as long as body. Elytra 0.65–0.70 times as long as body. The length/width ratio of elytra varies between 1.69–1.82.
Differential diagnosis. Oulema mauroi sp. nov. can be distinguished from O. melanopus and O. duftschmidi by its wider elytra (length/width ratio of elytra 1.69–1.82 in O. mauroi sp. nov., 1.87–2.05 in O. melanopus and O. duftschmidi) and shorter protarsomere I (length/ width ratio 1.45–1.65 in O. mauroi sp. nov., 1.65–2.00 in O. melanopus and O. duftschmidi). Due to its comparatively wider elytra and antennae, O. mauroi sp. nov. is similar to O. verae sp. nov. and particularly to O. rufocyanea. Iberian O. verae sp. nov. clearly differs in its pronotum with expanded black colour on posterior margin and less convex lateral margins, and shorter protarsomere I (length/width ratio 1.25–1.40). Oulema mauroi sp. nov. shares with O. rufocyanea a similar structure and colouration of pronotum (see Figs 8–9), and ratios of antennae/body length and elytral length/body length (see Tab. 1). Both species can only be separated with certainty by the shape of flagellum which in O. mauroi sp. nov. is much thinner in both dorsal and lateral views (Fig. 22), in contrast with the wider flagellum of O. rufocyanea (Figs 19–21). Flagelum of Oulema mauroi sp. nov. is most similar to that of O. duftschmidi, but it is smaller, shorter and in lateral view less convexely rounded (Figs 16, 22). The females of O. mauroi sp. nov. and O. rufocyanea can be distinguished by the structure of spermatheca and ductus spermathecae: proximal sclerotized part of ductus in O. mauroi sp. nov. has three coils, while only one in O. rufocyanea; soft distal parts are of similar length but turned in the middle in O. mauroi sp. nov. but gradually and slightly extended towards the base in O. rufocyanea (Figs 28–29).
Etymology. Dedicated to our good friend Mauro Daccordi, an excellent specialist in Chrysomelinae.
Habitat. A large series of Oulema mauroi sp. nov. was collected in the surroundings of Mandello del Lario exclusively on dry grasslands. It seems that O. mauroi sp. nov. is a xerothermophilous species occurring in xerothermic prealpine oases with submediterranean vegetation. Similar habitats as in Mandello del Lario can be found also in other places where the new species was collected like in Teolo (situated on the Colli Euganei, a complex of volcanic hills) or Avio in the Adige valley. The beetle is probably associated with Poaceae and may be connected with calcareous soils and rocks (Regalin 2014, pers. comm.).
Distribution. Italy (Lombardia, Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto) (Fig. 31).
description: Published as part of Bezděk, Jan & Baselga, Andrés, 2015, Revision of western Palaearctic species of the Oulema melanopus group, with description of two new species from Europe (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Criocerinae), pp. 273-304 in Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 55 (1) on pages 291-295, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5303691