Taophila mantillerii Jolivet, Verma

Samuelson, Allan, 2010, Review of Taophila, a genus endemic to New Caledonia (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae), Zootaxa 2621, pp. 45-62 : 47-48

Taophila mantillerii Jolivet, Verma , and Mille

Fig. 1b, 3b, 4b

Taophila mantillerii Jolivet et al. (2007) Revue française d’Entomologie (N.S.), 29(1):43–44, fig. 26 (aedeagus).

A larger orange-fulvous species with brassy lustre; described from male but sexes rather similar dorsally, with surfaces smooth-granulate and generally punctate, the pronotal punctures much smaller and closer than the elytral ones. Vestiture inconspicuous except for fringing setae along elytral apex. Legs very slender, of weak appearance.

Female (nov.). Similar to male. Abdominal ventrite 1 broadly concave and densely setose. Spermatheca as figured. Measurements: Body length 4.6 mm; body breadth 2.2 mm; head breadth 120 cmm; interantennal space 44 cmm; interocular space 78 cmm; eye 42 cmm; gena 22 cmm; pronotal length 120 cmm; pronotal breadth140 cmm; elytral length 3.6 mm.

Variation. Elytral coloration sometimes with a fuscescent darker streak extending longitudinally from the base.

Material examined. NEW CALEDONIA Col des Roussettes, 450–550 m, 4–6.ii.1963, C.M. Yoshimoto (5 Ψ, 1 ɗ); same data but 450–500 m, 5–6.ii.1963 (2 Ψ, 2 ɗ); same loc., Piste Est, 600 m, 24.xi.2002, beating Cyathea, A. Mantilleri & E.-A. Legun (1 ɗ paratype, JOLVET); Plateau de Dogny, 1.ii.1963, N.L.H. Krauss (3 Ψ, 2 ɗ); same loc., 700 m, 1.ii.1963, Yoshimoto (1 Ψ, 2 ɗ); Col d’Amieu, 500–600 m, 28.xii.1976, J.L. Gressitt (1 Ψ); Sarramea/Col d’Amieu, 2–25/11/05, S. Cazeres, C. Mille, J.P. Kataoui [Red label: Jolivet 2006] (1 Ψ IAC); 9.2 km NE of Col d’Amieu, slopes of Mt Rembai, 375–600 m, 23.ix.1979, ferns, G.A. Samuelson (Ψ nov. MNHN); same data (2 ɗ); same data but 375–675 m, W.C. Gagne, G.M. Nishida & Samuelson (1 Ψ, 3 ɗ); Ponerihouen/Aoupinie, S21.1038 E165.1707, 945 m, 11/10/06, Cazeres (49 mixed sexes, IAC); same data but Mille (42 mixed sexes, IAC). Parts of IAC Ponerihouen/Aoupinie series for deposit in BPBM, ISNB, JOLIVET, MNHN, NMNH, ONNC, and SMTD.

Plant associates. Treeferns: Cyathea , also ferns at mid-montane elevations.

Remarks. Unique in body form among congeners, the body breadth distinctively expanded across the mid-length of the elytra. The build of abdominal ventrite 1 in the female is distinctive, as is the c-shape of the spermatheca. In the male, the termination of the aedeagus is bifid and unique in the genus. Both sexes treated.

PLATE 1. Dorsal view— Taophila , named species. a. subsericea Heller Ψ—body length = 3.55 mm; b. mantillerii Jolivet et al. ♂ —body length = 4.5 mm; c. nigrans Jolivet et al. Ψ—body length = 3.8 mm;. nigrans Jolivet et al. ♂— body length = 3.05 mm.