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 cancellata Samuelson , new species Fig. 2b, 2c, 3f, 4d Description. Female ( Holotype ). Body surfaces dull-shagreened dark pitchy castaneous but elytron smoother and brighter with violaceous lustre; antenna largely dark with contrasting testaceous segments 1+2 and 10+11. Surfaces essentially glabrous except conspicuous adpressed setae on elytral preapex-apex. Legs largely testaceous, tibiae tinged with fuscous. Head: frontal surfaces evenly contiguous, frons flattened merging with gently convex vertex; these surfaces appearing dull-shagreened (actually with fine diametric granulatons at 50 x ); frons additionally with sparse deep punctures mostly smaller than interspaces; vertex largely impunctate on disc but becoming punctate above, surface with deep median sulcus; eye prominent, maximum diameter about 0.6 x as broad as interocular space; gena about 0.4 x as deep as eye. Antenna attaining mid-elytron; pedicel ca 7/12 as long as segment 3; flagellar segments slender with last 5 distinctly heavier. Prothorax 0.72 x as long as broad; side convex with stronger curvature along anterior half; posterior angle produced; basal margin beaded; discal surface evenly convex with small elliptical deep punctures commonly smaller than interspaces. Elytron rather evenly tapered to preapex and thence to extended “beaked” extremity; disc with basal 3/5 confusedly punctate, thence becoming regular with swollen interstices; humerus weakly produced but with 2 sharp posthumeral costae extending into apical 1/3. Ventral surfaces: propleuron smooth-shagreened, impunctate; metasternum as preceding; abdominal ventrites obscurely punctate but otherwise shagreened; ventrites in lateral profile gradually ascending to thorax; ventrite 1 with intercoxal piece narrow to basal breadth (14:107); ventrite 1 not quite as long as 4 remaining ones; last ventrite briefly and convexly emarginate at extremity flanked with finely serrate lateral margins. Legs: metafemur ± slender, incrassate, evenly thickened to middle; metatibia slender, apex briefly and slightly expanded. Genitalia: spermatheca with receptacle elongate-narrow and gently curved. Measurements: Body length 5.2 mm ; body breadth 2.4 mm ; head breadth 144 cmm; interantennal space 44 cmm; interocular space 80 cmm; eye 48 cmm; gena 20 cmm; pronotal length 148 cmm; pronotal breadth 206 cmm; elytral length 4.3 mm ; abdominal ventrites: 58:15:13:13:20. Male (Allotype). Paler than female with body surfaces largely orange-fulvous but elytra slightly darker subcastaneous, dorsal surfaces additionally with a slight brassy lustre; antenna yellow- to orange-testaceous with intermediate segments darker; legs yellow-testaceous. Body surfaces not shagreened as in female but head and prothorax possessing a fine diametric microsculpture, the elytra nearly smooth; pronotum additionally with distinct punctures; elytron with punctures confused on inner basal quadrant and becoming striate apically and laterally. Abdominal ventrite 5 with small median depression, sides dentate before briefly emarginate apex. Genitalia: aedeagal apex as in Fig. 3f. Measurements: Body length 3.9 mm , body breadth 1.7 mm ; head breadth 126 cmm; interantennal space 27 cmm; interocular space 62 cmm; eye 50 cmm; gena 20 cmm; pronotal length 120 cmm; pronotal breadth 162 cmm; elytral length 2.85 mm . Holotype Ψ (MNHN). NEW CALEDONIA . Sarramea/Col d’Amieu, S21.34694 E165.46278 , 489 m , 2/ 12/06 , beating, R.M’Bouen; Allotype ɗ Sarramea/Col d’Amieu, 2–25/11/2005 , beating, S. Cazeres, C. Mille, J.P. Kataoui (MNHN). Female paratypes : same data as holotype (1 BPBM, 1 ICA, 2 Jolivet); Sarramea/Col d’Amieu: 6/11/2004 , beating, Mille (1); 17/10/2005 , Mille & J. Brinon (1 Jolivet); 2–25/11/2005 , beating, Cazeres, Mille & Kataoui (1 Jolivet); 10/05/2006 , beating, Brinon (1); Malaise trap, 8/02/06 to 3 /03/2006, S21˚34.903’ E165˚48.376’, 611 m , ICA personnel (1 Jolivet); Reserve du Col d’Amieu, S21˚35’ 33.97” E165˚48’14.39”, 362 m , 23/11/2007 , beating various trees, Cazeres (1); La Foa/SRFP, S21.73393 E165.89605 , 23 m , 16/11/ 2004 , on S. cumini , Jamelonier, Cazeres (1); [La Foa] SRFP “Perroquet” S21.73393 E165.89605 , 23 m , 4/12/ 2004 , “Acajou” Semecarpus atra , Cazeres (1); Farino 22/Barbou L., S21.61198 E165.70272 , 362 m , 29/11/ 2005 , Brinon coll. (1); Kanala, Dumbea cancellata Fvl. , coll. et det. A. Fauvel (1 ISNB). Male paratypes : Sarramea, S21.66941 E165.8172 , 3 m , 22/10/2004 , beating Syzygium jambos , Brinon & Kataoui (6); Sarramea/Col d’Amieu, 2–25/11/2005 , beating, Cazeres, Mille, Kataoui (9); same area but S21˚34.903’ E165˚46.376’, 611 m , Malaise trap 8/02/06 to 3 /03/2006, various personnel (1); same area but S21.63411 E165.89527 , 465 m , 20/02/2006 , beating, Mille & Kataoui (1); same area but S21.34694 E165.46278 , 489 m , 2/12/2006 , M’Bouen (1); Reserve du Col d’Amieu, S21˚35’33.97” E165˚48’14.39”, 362 m , 23/11/2007 , beating various trees, Cazeres (2); [La Foa] SRFP “Perroquet” S21.73393 E165.89605 , 23 m , 4/12/2004 , “Acajou” Semecarpus atra , Cazeres (1). Undesignated paratypes from ICA with parts of series for deposit in BPBM, ISNB, JOLIVET, MNHN, NMNH, ONNC, and SMTD. Remarks. This is one of the larger Taophila , ranging up to about 5.5 mm ; it exhibits pronounced sexual dimorphism: the female dark and shagreened, the male paler in color and much smoother in body form and sculpture. Differs from T. mars , n. sp. in lacking teeth at the side of the prothorax and the nearly glabrous dorsum. The species commemorates Fauvel’s MS name, cancellata , perpetuating the label name attached to a single fragmented specimen from the ISNB Fauvel collection. The name is derived from the Latin cancellus , meaning lattice or screen, referring to the shagreened fine sculpture of the body surfaces in the female.