Taophila joliveti Samuelson

Samuelson, Allan, 2010, Review of Taophila, a genus endemic to New Caledonia (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae), Zootaxa 2621, pp. 45-62 : 54-56

Taophila joliveti Samuelson , new species

Fig. 2g, 4j

Description. Female (Holotype). Body surfaces largely orange-fuscous but head and prothorax more pitchy and slightly darker than elytron. Antenna and legs yellowish to orangish. Surfaces shining, nearly smooth, additionally with a slight isodiametric sculpture, especially on upper vertex and abdominal ventrites. Vestiture of forward-adpressed pronotal setae and longer erect elytral setae at side and apex.

Head: frontal surfaces rather continuous from frons to vertex with interantennal space flattened; frons with small deep punctures; lower vertex with deep larger punctures, these becoming elliptical at upper sides but central disc briefly impunctate, suggesting a median line; eye with maximum diameter nearly 0.5 x as broad as interocular space; gena about 0.5 x as deep as eye. Antenna very slender, attaining mid-elytron; pedicel distinctly exeeding mid-length of segment 3. Prothorax about 0.8 x as long as broad, broadest across middle; side convex anteriorly, thence rather straight and narrowed basally to projecting posterior angle; basal bead with antimarginal groove distinct; disc closely and deeply punctulate, the punctures deep and elliptical, commonly about 3 x as large as briefly raised interspaces; interspaces tending to run together longitudinally. Elytron broadest along basal 3/5 before narrowing to apex; apex briefly rounded; humerus slightly raised with swollen interstices following to preapex; disc with inner basal quadrant dull and confusely punctate, the punctures deep and irregularly spaced, often 1.0–1.5 x as large as interspaces; sutural interstice swollen apically; lateral puncture rows ± regular. Ventral surfaces: propleuron with large, deep punctures on smoothshining interspaces; metasternum also with large deep punctures over a duller surface; abdominal ventrite 1, shield-like, apical margin simple; ventrite 2 with tubercles (1 + 1) on apical margin. Ventrite 1 (paratype female) with intercoxal piece relatively broad at 16:63 as broad as segment. Legs: metafemur slender, gradually thickened to middle; metatibia slender but gradually arched and slightly broaded apically. Genitalia: spermatheca with receptacle relatively stout, j-shaped. Measurements: Body length 4.0 mm; body breadth 1.75 mm; head breadth 102 cmm; interantennal space 37 cmm; interocular space 62 cmm; eye 30 cmm; gena 16 cmm; pronotal length 108 cmm; pronotal breadth 136 cmm; elytral length 3.05 mm.

Holotype Ψ (BPBM 17,186). NEW CALEDONIA. Mont Panie, 800 m, 27–29.vii.1971, Freycinetia, J.L. Gressitt ; paratype Ψ, same data but 1300 m, 28.vii.1971, shrubs (BPBM).

Remarks. A larger pitchy testaceous species. Differs from congeners by having abdominal ventrite 2 bituberculate on apical margin. Females only. The name honors Prof. Pierre Jolivet of Paris, who continues his remarkable studies in Chrysomelidae of New Caledonia and beyond.

PLATE 3. Aedeagus, apical structure in Taophila . a. mars , n. sp.; b. mantillerii Jolivet et al. ; c. nigrans Jolivet et al. ; d. hydrae n. sp.; e. deimos , n. sp.; f. cancellata , n. sp.; g. corvi , n. sp.; h. scorpii , n. sp.; i. subsericea Heller ; j. sagittarii , n. sp.

PLATE 4. Spermatheca in Taophila . a. mars , n. sp.; b. mantillerii Jolivet et al. ; c. subsericea Heller ; d. cancellata , n. sp.; e. corvi , n. sp.; f. scorpii , n. sp.; g. nigrans Jolivet et al. ; h. millei , n. sp.; i. sagittarii , n. sp.; j. joliveti , n. sp.