Tuleara pruinosa, Selis, 2025

Tuleara pruinosa sp. nov.

( Figs 57 View FIGURE 57 , 66E View FIGURE 66 )

Diagnosis. Similar to Tuleara leptochiloides due to a very low pronotal carina (more highly lamellate in other species), vertical and weakly convex metanotum with blunt anterior margin (sloping, strongly convex or sharply margined in other species), and a strong and long epicnemial carina (barely indicated or strong but short in other species), but differentiated by finer epicnemial carina bordered by dense silvery pubescence( Fig. 57D View FIGURE 57 ), less bulging base of S2 ( Fig. 57F View FIGURE 57 ), wider interspaces and denser pubescence on head and mesosoma ( Fig. 57C View FIGURE 57 ), and smaller punctures on metasoma ( Fig. 57E View FIGURE 57 ).

Type material examined. HOLOTYPE: ♀ labelled “ CASENT / 2118634 // MADAGASCAR: Tulear / Prov. Andohahela NP / Tsimelahy, Parcelle II / 180 m 28 Mar–8 Apr 2003 / 24°56.21'S, 46°37.60'E / col. M. Irwin, F. Parker, / R. Harin’Hala // CASLOT 024564 / malaise, transitional / forest, MA-02-20-20 // Tuleara pruinosa / HOLOTYPUS ♀ / Det. Marco Selis 2024 [red label]” ( CAS, code CASTYPE21767) GoogleMaps . PARATYPES: Toliara, Parc National de Vohibasia , 44 km NE of Sakaraha, 22.6666S 44.8333E, 600 m, 26.X–2.XI.2010, leg. M. Irwin & R GoogleMaps . Harin’Hala, 1♀ ( CAS, code CASENT2118542 ) .

Description. Female holotype ( Fig. 57B View FIGURE 57 ). Body length 7.2 mm; fore wing length 6.0 mm.

Head 1.15× as wide as high. Clypeus in frontal view 1.1× as wide as long, apical margin barely emarginate and 0.35× as wide as clypeus, apical teeth nearly right-angled with pointed apex; clypeus in lateral view barely convex, almost smoothly passing into frons. Vertex 2.1× as long as ocellocular distance, very weakly convex in lateral view; cephalic foveae fused in a single median pit, equidistant from ocellar triangle and occipital carina. Gena 0.8× as wide as eye at bottom of ocular sinus; occipital carina complete, fine on vertex, thick and shortly lamellate on gena, distinctly curved in lower half. Flagellum weakly thickened towards apex, F1 1.2× as long as wide and 1.3× as long as F2, F2 subquadrate, F3–F9 transverse and becoming progressively slightly wider. Mesosoma 1.4× as long as wide, subcylindrical. Pronotum with almost straight and subparallel sides; pronotal carina disappearing on ventral corners of pronotum, dorsally developed in a short hyaline lamella which is lower in the middle and on humeri, evenly rounded on humeri, in dorsal view slightly concave medially; pretegular carina present only for a short and indistinct portion in front of anterior lobe of tegula. Scutellum wider than long, widely flattened on disc, anterior margin crenulate; axillary fossa small and elliptical, about half as large as ocellus. Metanotum nearly vertical, barely convex with slightly bulging anterior margin. Tegula longer than wide, outer margin evenly convex, posterior lobe right-angled with pointed apex and not equaling parategula; parategula basally right-angled and with slightly expanded apex. Mesepisternum smoothly passing into pronotum above; epicnemial carina present but low and blunt. Propodeum short, in lateral view almost vertical; dorsal faces of propodeum short and weakly sloping, widely separated behind metanotum; lateral faces of propodeum very shallowly depressed, margin with other faces distinct but not carinate; posterior face of propodeum shallowly depressed, forming two pits above propodeal orifice, mid-line with wide blunt carina, basal subtriangular sclerite deeply depressed; submarginal carina of propodeum produced in a subtriangular lobe with widely rounded apex, valvula free and rectangular; dorsal carinae barely indicated by two short folds of the surface. T 1 in dorsal view nearly semicircular, wider than long, with converging sides and evenly rounded anterior margin; T 1 in lateral view strongly convex and divided in two distinct faces; apical margin of T1 with short hyaline border, almost disappearing medially. T 2 in dorsal view about as long as wide and with convex sides slightly compressed posteriorly, slightly wider than T1; preapical area of T2 deeply depressed and coarsely punctate, separated from preceding surface of tergite, followed by strongly reflexed but short translucent lamella, lamella about as long as one ocellar diameter in the middle and almost disappearing laterally. Apical margin of T3–T4 translucent and weakly sinuate in the middle. S2 strongly convex basally and then flattened, basal sloping area with a shallow and wide longitudinal depression, apical area depressed and lamellate but much less evidently than T2 and lamella not reflexed.

Head and mesosoma with deep punctures separated by less than their diameters, interspaces flattened and shiny, wider on gena and mesepisternum; clypeus micropunctate with small deep punctures, denser basally and gradually disappearing apically; tegula strongly shiny with scattered deep punctures, smooth on disc; dorsal faces of propodeum coarsely punctate, interspaces reduced to ridges on posteromedial part; lateral faces of propodeum with dense and small deep punctures; posterior face of propodeum smooth and shiny with scattered punctures in dorsal half and some oblique striae ventrally. T1 with shallow large punctures, basally arranged in a transverse series delimiting the two faces of the tergite; T2 with deep punctures, larger and sparser at extreme base and becoming smaller and denser, interspaces ranging from as wide as several puncture diameters basally to ridge-like apically, preapical depressed area with two to three series of large and coarse punctures and interspaces reduced to sharp ridges; T3–T5 with coarse punctures similar to preapical area of T2, but smaller and becoming progressively finer; S1 irregularly punctate with few longitudinal strong carinae; S2 with large deep punctures, denser on extreme sides and on disc, leaving a short preapical area with wide impunctate parts; S3–S5 similar to preapical area of S2 but punctures progressively finer and sparser. Covered in short silvery pubescence, with brassy tinges on mesoscutum, partly hiding the underlying surface under incident light; short erect setae on head, mesosoma and sternites, slightly longer on frons and curved on mesepisternum; propodeum with area above valvula covered in dense and long white pubescence and scattered long and fine setae; metasoma with dust-like pubescence, slightly shorter than on head and mesosoma.

Black with suffused and hardly visible dark-red tinge on some parts; following parts yellow: clypeus except basal suffused reddish spot, most of outer face of mandible, eye margin narrowly interrupted behind dorsal lobe of eye and filling eye sinus, longitudinal line filling interantennal space and reaching middle of frons, thin band along pronotal carina and ending just below humeri, thin outer margin of tegula, apex of parategula, projection of submarginal carina, very thin line bordering apical margin of T1 and S1, broad and regular apical band on T2–T5, rounded spots bordering basal slope of S2, sinuate apical bands on S2–S5, most of T6 and S6; legs reddish-brown with orange apical segments of tarsi. Wings hyaline with very weak grayish tinge, slightly orange along costal margin.

Male. Unknown.

Variability. The paratype differs from the holotype in having brighter yellow markings and a very shallow subtriangular depression bordering the apical margin of clypeus.

Distribution. Madagascar: Toliara ( Fig. 66E View FIGURE 66 ).

Etymology. The species epithet is the Latin adjective “ pruinosus, - a, - um ” (= frosted), as the pubescence on the mesosoma gives a frosted appearance.