Review of Taophila, a genus endemic to New Caledonia (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae)
Author
Samuelson, Allan
text
Zootaxa
2010
2621
45
62
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.198100
6faae17e-8f8c-4987-b1a6-e17b90524f41
1175-5326
198100
Taophila sagittarii
Samuelson
,
new species
Fig. 2h 3j,
4i
Description.
Female (
Holotype
). Body surfaces and legs yellow-testaceous. Antenna largely fuscous, only the scape and pedicel yellowish. Dorsal surfaces: pronotum shining-punctate; elytron duller subgranulate and punctate. Ventral surfaces: propleuron smooth-punctate; metasternum nearly smooth-punctate; abdominal ventrite 1 dull shagreened-punctulate. Vestiture: setation finer and shorter on pronotum, longer on elytron.
Head: frontal surfaces smooth-glassy, with frons and interantennal region very weakly and gradually raised transversely and on a slightly higher plane than lower vertex; frons sparsely punctate than vertex, the punctures small and fairly deep; vertex similarly punctate and lacking distinct median line on disc; eye nearly 0.6 x as broad as interocular space; gena about 0.45 x as deep as eye. Antenna extending to about mid-elytron; pedicel exceeding half-length of segment 3; segments moderately slender but with apical 5 heavier. Prothorax about 0.9 x as long as broad, broadest just before middle; side convex anteriorly, thence straight and narrowed to projecting posterior angle; base beaded, with a deep antimarginal sulcus; disc shining with deep punctures about 1–1.5 x as large as smooth interspaces. Elytron with side very straight and narrowed from humerus to preapex; apex narrowed to briefly truncate extremity; apex in lateral view briefly declined; inner basal discal quadrant confusedly punctuate, the punctures large; elsewhere the punctures becoming regular; humerus somewhat swollen and followed by slightly higher interstices to preapex. Ventral surfaces: propleuron smooth-shining with moderately small deep punctures; metasternum similarly punctate at side over a subgranulate duller surface surface; abdominal ventrite 1 enlarged, apron-like with apical margin bituberculate, surface punctulate with subshagreened-smooth sculpture; ventrite 2 simple. Legs: metafemur slender but indurate, gradually thickened to middle; metatibia straight, barely thickened at apex. Genitalia: spermatheca with receptacle slender and forming a broadly open c-shape. Measurements: Body length
3.15 mm
; body breadth
1.4 mm
; head breadth 84 cmm; interantennal space 28 cmm; interocular space 52 cmm; eye 30 cmm; gena 14 cmm; pronotal length 90 cmm; pronotal breadth 99 cmm; elytral length
2.35 mm
.
Male (Allotype). Similar to female, excepting elytron entirely smooth-shining. Genitalia: aedeagal apex as in Fig. 3j. Measurements: Body length 3.0 mm; body breadth
1.3 mm
; head breadth 86 cmm; interantennal space 28 cmm; interocular space 52 cmm; eye 31 cmm; gena 15 cmm; pronotal length 92 cmm; pronotal breadth 98 cmm; elytral length
2.25 mm
.
Holotype
Ψ (BPBM 17,189).
NEW CALEDONIA
. Mts des Koghis,
400–600 m
,
i.1969
, N.L.H. Krauss; Allotype ɗ, same loc.,
600–900 m
,
19.iii.1968
, T.C. Maa (BPBM).
Paratopotype Females: Mt Koghi, same data as
holotype
(13);
26.i.1963
, C.M. Yoshimoto (1);
26– 30.i.1963
, G. Kuschel (3);
28.xi.1963
, R. Straatman (1);
900 m
,
3.xii.1963
, Straatman (2);
450–600 m
,
4– 6.x.1967
, J.& M. Sedlacek (1);
600–900 m
,
19.iii.1968
, Maa (4);
400–600 m
,
ii.1973
, Krauss (3);
400–500 m
,
2.ii.1976
, Krauss (1);
400–500 m
,
11.ii.1976
, Krauss (3).
Paratype
Females, other locals: St Louis,
v.1950
, Krauss (3); Foret di Thy,
1.iii.1960
, treefern, J.L. Gressitt (2); Foret di Thi,
29.x–1.xi.1967
, Sedlaceks (1); La Crouen,
150 m
,
22.iii.1968
, small palm, Gressitt (1).
Paratopotype Males, Mt Koghi,
ii.1962
, Krauss (1);
500 m
,
i.1963
, Krauss (2);
500 m
,
26.i.1963
, Yoshimoto (5);
500 m
,
26–30.i.1963
, G. Kuschel (1);
15.ii.1963
, Yoshimoto (1), Krauss (2); 28 or
29.xi.1963
, Straatman (3);
500–700 m
,
1.xii.1963
, Straatman (2);
900 m
,
3.xii.1963
, Straatman (2);
600 m
,
25.xii.1963
, Gressitt (1);
300–600 m
,
19.iii.1968
, Gressitt & Maa (1);
600–900 m
,
19.iii.1968
, Maa (7);
400–600 m
,
ii.1973
, Krauss (8);
400–500 m
,
ii.1976
, Krauss (4);
ii.1978
, Krauss (3);
400–600 m
,
ii.1980
, Krauss (1). BPBM paratopotype series with parts for deposit in IAC, ISNB, JOLIVET, MNHN, NMNH, ONNC, and SMTD.
Remarks.
A smaller pale unicolorous species with very straight-sided tapering elytra. Possibly close to
T. scorpii
,
n. sp.
because abdominal ventrite 1 has a bituberculate apical margin; differs from the same by having the elytral margin tapering to a broader preapex and somewhat glossier pronotal sculpture, besides color differences. Both sexes treated. Named for the constellation Sagittarius.