Taophila scorpii Samuelson

Samuelson, Allan, 2010, Review of Taophila, a genus endemic to New Caledonia (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae), Zootaxa 2621, pp. 45-62 : 59-60

Taophila scorpii Samuelson , new species

Fig. 2e, 3h, 4f

Description. Female (Holotype). Head pitchy fuscous becoming darker on sides of vertex; prothorax pitchy castaneous; elytron orange-testaceous. Antenna testaceous, intermediate segments fuscescent but without much contrast. Ventral surfaces and legs largely orange-testaceous but propleuron dark. Dorsal surfaces subshining granulate (isodiametric). Vestiture: pronotal disc with fine silvery setae; elytron with longer setae, these most conspicuous along side and apical region.

Head: frontal surfaces generally raised transversely across interantennal region; frons deeply punctulate; lower vertex with larger punctures, commonly smaller than interspaces; upper vertex with punctures at sides more elliptical; discal median line obscure; eye with maximum diameter roughly 0.6 x as broad as interocular space; gena nearly 0.5 x as deep as eye. Antenna just exceeding mid-elytron; segments slender but apical 5 heavier; pedicel ovate and distinctly exceeding half-length of segment 3. Prothorax about 0.85 x as long as broad, broadest just before middle; side rather strongly convex anteriorly thence narrowed and ±straight to projecting posterior angle; base sulcate antimarginally; discal punctures small and deep, mostly about 1 x as large as interspaces. Elytron relatively robust, parallel-sided along basal 2/5, thence narrowed to fairly broad and sinuate preapex; apex slightly declined in lateral view; humerus slightly produced and followed by 2 weak costae, with the inner costa obliquely delimiting disc; disc with inner basal quadrant confusedly punctate, the punctures large; apical punctures smaller in ±irregular rows; apical part of lateral humeral costa swollen at preapex making apical area appear relatively broad with median emargination in dorsal view.

Ventral surfaces: propleuron with deep punctures mostly smaller than interspaces, surface with slight granulation; metasternum with large shallow punctures laterally; abdominal ventrite 1 strongly modified, elevated over its length and exceeding half-length of abdomen, surface flattened to shallowly concave and extending to bituberculate apical margin; intercoxal piece fairly narrow at 11:66; remaining ventrites appearing normal. Legs: metafemur slender, gradually thickened to about middle; metatibia rather straight, apex expanded. Genitalia: spermatheca with receptacle slender, v-shaped. Measurements: Body length 3.6 mm; body breadth 2.6 mm; head breadth 92 cmm; interantennal space 29 cmm; interocular space 52 cmm; eye 32 cmm; gena 15 cmm; pronotal length 102 cmm; pronotal breadth 122 cmm; elytral length 2.65 mm.

Male (Allotype). Similar to holotype but pronotal surface a little smoother and elytral surface much smoother and shinier; elytral preapex normally closing to apex without sinuation or enlarged humeral costa above; ventrite 1 not overtly modified. Genitalia: aedeagal apex as in Fig. 3h. Measurements: Body length 2.8 mm; body breadth 1.3 mm; head breadth 81 cmm; interantennal space 24 cmm; interocular space 48 cmm; eye 30 cmm; gena 12 cmm; pronotal length 90 cmm; pronotal breadth 98 cmm; elytral length 2.0 mm.

Holotype Ψ (BPBM 17,190), NEW CALEDONIA. Col des Roussettes, 350–450 m, 3.ii.1971, N.L.H. Krauss; Allotype ɗ (BPBM), same loc. but 450–550 m, 4–6.ii.1963, J.L. Gressitt.

Paratypes: same data as holotype (1 Ψ); same data as allotype but G. Kuschel (1 Ψ, 1 ɗ); Plateau de Dogny, 29.iii.1968, sweeping, T.C. Maa (1 ɗ) and Maa & Gressitt (2 Ψ BPBM, MNHN); Col d’Amieu, 650 m, 31.iii.1968, Gressitt (1 Ψ).

Remarks. A smaller bicolorous species generally fitting with the smaller bicolorous species: T. corvi , n. sp. and T. subsericea Heller. The highly modified bituberculate female ventrite 1 and simple ventrite 2 separate this species from its close allies. Both sexes treated. Named for the constellation Scorpius.