Rhyzobius bielawskii Tomaszewska

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 : 311

Rhyzobius bielawskii Tomaszewska

Rhyzobius bielawskii Tomaszewska, 2010: 71 .

Close morphologically to R. nigripennis Fauvel , it is easily distinguished by its smaller size and lack of spurs on the tibiae ( Tomaszewska 2010). This endemic species has been recorded from various localities in New Caledonia along the Central Range from north to south of Grande Terre ( Tomaszewska 2010), especially at high altitude (Mont Mou, Mont Do, Plateau de Dogny, Mont Panié). It has been recorded from both ultramafic and nonultramafic soils. Its biology is unknown, but it may be predaceous against coccids according to diet preference recorded for other Rhyzobius ( Tomaszewska 2010) .

Literature records. NEW CALEDONIA: Mt. Rembai, 700m, 18.x.1978 (G. Kuschel rec.) (MIZ); Mt. Rembai, 700m, 20.x.1978 (G. Kuschel rec.) (NZAC); Mt. Mou, 700m, 2.xi.1978 (G. Kuschel rec.) (NZAC); Mt. Do, 1000m, 31.x.1978 (J.C. Watt rec.) (NZAC); Mt. Do, 900-1030 m, 22.x.1978 (G. Kuschel rec.) (MIZ); Mt. Do, 900-1000 m, 31.x.1978 (G. Kuschel rec.) (NZAC); Col des Roussettes, 400m, 26.x.1978 (G. Kuschel rec.) (NZAC); Plateau de Dogny, 450 m, 10.iv.1973 (J.L. Gressit rec.) (BPBM); Col d’Amieu (1 km W of), 400 m, 21.37S, 165.49E, 10.ii.2004 (M. Wanat rec.) (ANIC & MIZ); Mts Koghi, 500-550 m, 22.11S, 166.30E, 21.i.2004 (M. Wanat rec.) (ANIC); Mont Panié, near refuge hut, 1300m, 20.33S, 164.46E, 2.ii.2004 (M. Wanat rec.) (ANIC) ( Tomaszewska 2010).