Rhyzobius nigripennis Fauvel

Nattier, Romain, Jourdan, Hervé, Mille, Christian & Chazeau, Jean, 2015, An annotated checklist of the Coccinellidae (Coleoptera) from New Caledonia, Zootaxa 4058 (3), pp. 301-331 : 312

Rhyzobius nigripennis Fauvel

Rhizobius nigripennis Fauvel, 1903: 322 .

Rhyzobius nigripennis Bielawski 1973: 387 .

This is an endemic species which was first documented by two specimens from Nouméa (Fauvel Collection in IRSNB in Brussels). This taxon was subsequently reviewed by Bielawski (1973) and Tomaszewska (2010). This last author identified it from numerous localities all over New Caledonia, mostly from rain forest areas, on both ultramafic (Mt Do, Canala) and non-ultramafic soils (Mt Aoupinié, Mts Koghi, Thoven) on both the east and west coasts, but also from maquis shrubland in the South (Chutes de la Madeleine, Col de Mouirange). From field observations, we documented this Rhyzobius as a predator of diaspidids belonging to the genera Pinnaspis and Aspidiotus .

Literature records. NEW CALEDONIA: Nouméa, Bougier (A. Fauvel rec.) (ISNB); Aoupinié, road to summit, 780-820 m, 21.11°S, 16.17°E, 8.ii.2004 (M. Wanat rec.) (ANIC); Aoupinié, meteo st.—summit, 950-1000 m, 21.11°S, 165.16°E, 8.ii.2004 (M. Wanat rec.) (ANIC); Aoupinie, road to sawmill, 420-530 m, 21.09°S, 165.19°E, 7.ii.2004 (M. Wanat rec.) (ANIC); Kavatch, near Hienghène, 150 m, 28.x.1978 (G. Kuschel rec.) (NZAC); Mt. Rembai, 800 m, 17.x.1978 (J.C. Watt rec.) (NZAC); Col de Mouirande, 11.x.1978 (G. Kuschel rec.) (NZAC); Mt. Do, 900-1000 m, 31.x.1978 (G. Kuschel rec.) (NZAC); Mts Koghi, base 300 m, 22.11°S, 166.30°E, 13.ii.2004 (M. Wanat rec.) (ANIC); Chute de la Madeleine maquis, 270m, 22.14°S, 166.52°E, 13.ii.2004 (M. Wanat rec.) (MIZ); Thoven near Tiendanite forest, 450 m, 20.47°S, 164.53°E, 5.ii.2004 (M. Wanat rec.) (ANIC); Mt Koghis, 500m, 7.x.1978 (G. Kuschel rec.) (MIZ); Table Unio, 550-1000 m, 16.x.1978 (J.C. Watt rec.) (MIZ); Canala, 1.vii.1914 (P.D. Montague rec.) (NHM); Houaïlou, 30.x.1914 (P.D. Montague rec.) (NHM).