Taophila

Samuelson, Allan, 2010, Review of Taophila, a genus endemic to New Caledonia (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Eumolpinae), Zootaxa 2621, pp. 45-62 : 61-62

Key to species of Taophila

1. Prothorax with lateral margin convex or subangulate-convex near middle, not toothed; dorsal pubescence never in rosettes ......................................................................................................................................................................... 2

- Prothorax with lateral margin producing 2 teeth (2 + 2) near middle of each side; dorsal pubescence adpressed to suberect and lying in different directions; dorsum dark fuscous to blackish with usually violaceous lustre; body length 3.0– 4.3 mm .................................................................................................................................. T. mars , n. sp.

2. Elytron pustulate on inner basal discal quadrant, pustules appearing as smooth ± transverse transverse wrinkles..... 3

- Elytron with inner basal discal quadrant flattened, punctate, or smooth but not markedly pustulate .......................... 4

3. Dorsum entirely blackish with strong metallic violaceous lustre and with conspicuous erect pubescence overall; body length 2.8 mm ............................................................................................................................. T. deimos , n. sp.

- Dorsum largely pitchy fuscous, the surface smooth-shining but not metallic; dorsal pubescence adpressed on pronotal disc and ± erect on elytral disc: body length 3.0– 3.25 mm .......................................... T. subsericea Heller (part),

4. Dorsum essentially glabrous, lacking conspicuous setae on pronotal- or elytral disc, except elytral preapex ........... 5

- Dorsum usually with conspicuous setae somewhere on pronotal- or elytral disc beside elytral preapex ................... 7

5. Front of head (frons and vertex) largely impunctate, surfaces ± evenly granulate, vertex additionally with conspicuous median line; dorsum orange-fulvous with elytron a slight value darker, reddish; body length 3.2–4.5 mm; males ....................................................................................................................................................... T. cancellata , n. sp.

- Front of head with conspicuous punctures on frons and vertex, surface sculpture various ........................................ 6

6. Body surfaces blackish-castaneous, shagreened with metallic violaceous lustre; elytron relatively slender, not broadened postbasally but rather gradually narrowed to preapex; posthumeral region with sharp costae; legs not extremely slender; body length 3.8–5.4 mm; females .................................................................................... T. cancellata , n. sp.

- Body surfaces largely orange-fulvous, subgranulate-smooth, sometimes with a slight brassy lustre; elytron rather strongly broadened to middle before narrowing apically, surface lacking sharp costae but posthumeral interstices may be swollen; legs extremely slender in both sexes; body length 3.5–5.0 mm ............... T. mantillerii Jolivet et al.

7. Males: dorsal surfaces generally smooth-shining; elytron with inner discal area and surrounding areas uniformly smooth; probasitarsus relatively turgid ....................................................................................................................... 8

- Females: dorsal surfaces generally duller, elytron usually with inner discal area subgranulate, much duller than sublateral area, but alutaceous with erect pubescence in T. millei , n. sp.; probasitarsus relatively slender .................... 13

8. Prothorax dark: blackish or very dark fuscous, strongly contrasting to paler parts of elytron (elytron often entirely pale testaceous or fulvous but sometimes with dark discal markings) ....................................................................... 9

- Prothorax pale: testaceous or fulvous, not strongly contrasting to paler parts of elytron (elytron often entirely pale but inner elytral disc sometimes dark) ....................................................................................................................... 12

9. Pronotal disc sparsely to moderately punctate: punctures 1 x or less as large as interspaces; interspaces smooth … 10

- Pronotal disc finely and densely punctulate: punctures 3– 4 x as large as interspaces; pronotal pubescence subdense; dorsum: pronotum black, elytron yellow-testaceous with faint posthumeral oblique stripe; body length 3.0 mm ........ ............................................................................................................................................................. T. hydrae , n. sp.

10. Pronotal disc moderately punctate: punctures commonly 1 x as large as interspaces .............................................. 11

- Pronotal disc sparsely punctate: punctures commonly 0.5 x as large as interspaces; elytral disc sparsely pubescent but pubescence denser on apical 1/3; apical antennal segment usually paler than preceding; body length 2.4–3.0 mm ................................................................................................................................................................ T. corvi , n. sp.

11. Pronotal pubescence moderate, suberect; elytron with moderate erect pubescence ± uniformly placed over disc; body length 2.5–2.75 mm .................................................................................................................... T. scorpii , n. sp.

- Pronotal pubescence inconspicuous; elytral disc sparsely and irregularly set with suberect hairs; body length 2.5–3.0 mm ............................................................................................................................................... T. subsericea Heller.

12. Pronotal puncturation sparser: punctures commonly 0.5–1.0 x as large as interspaces; interspaces flat, smooth-shining between punctures; metatibia straight ... dorsum yellow-testaceous; body length 2.75–3.2 mm ............................ ......................................................................................................................................................... T. sagittarii , n. sp.

- Pronotal puncturation closer: punctures 3– 4 x as large as interspaces; interspaces convex between punctures; metatibia weakly sinuate; dorsum evenly orange-fulvous with bright lustre but elytron sometimes with inner disc dark; body length 2.6–3.4 mm .......................................................................................................... T. nigrans Jolivet et al.

13. Prothorax and elytron with distinct color contrast, the respective surfaces dark and pale ....................................... 14

- Prothorax and elytron rather similarly monocolorous or varicolored, the surfaces either dark or pale and not contrasting significantly ......................................................................................................................................................... 17

14. Pronotal pubescence conspicuous, ± erect; abdominal ventrites 1 or 1+2 tuberculate on apical margin/s .............. 15

- Pronotal pubescence not conspicuous: fine, ± short, adpressed; abdominal ventrites 1 or 1+2 not tuberculate on apical margin ................................................................................................................................................................... 16

15. Abdominal ventrite 1 tuberculate sublaterally along apical margin; ventrite 2 with apical margin simple; elytral

humeral costa well developed posteriorly, concealing lateral margin (from above) along preapical area; elytral inner disc dull, granulate; elytral discal pubescence present and erect but not quite uniform; elytral side nearly straight and narrowed to preapex; body length 2.8–3.6 mm .................................................................................. T. scorpii , n. sp. - Abdominal ventrite 1+2 each tuberculate sublaterally along apical margin; elytral humeral costa not well developed, lateral margin not concealed preapically; elytral dorsal interspaces generally ± alutaceous, with more shining; elytral discal pubescence uniform and erect; elytral side more convex in dorsal view; body length 3.75 mm ........................ ................................................................................................................................................................ T. millei , n. sp.

16. Pronotal puncturation moderate: punctures commonly about 1 x as large as interspaces; elytron more strongly and evenly narrowed apically; elytron reddish fulvous; body length 3.2–3.6 mm ....................................... T. corvi , n. sp.

- Pronotal puncturation closer: punctures commonly 3 x as large as interspaces; elytron not strongly narrowed until apical 1/3; elytron often bicolorous: orange with black areas along side; body length 2.9–4.0 mm.............................. ...................................................................................................................................................... T. subsericea Heller.

17. Abdominal ventrite 1 with apical margin simple, not tuberculate.............................................................................. 18

- Abdominal ventrite 1 with apical margin bituberculate; body surfaces uniformly pale: yellow-testaceous or orangefulvous; body length 3.1–4.0 mm ................................................................................................... T. sagittarii , n. sp.

18. Abdominal ventrite 2 with apical margin simple, not tuberculate apically ............................................................... 19

- Abdominal ventrite 2 with apical margin tuberculate sublaterally; elytron with duller granulate area on inner disc more restricted, surrounded by smoother areas; 2 or 3 posthumeral costae present; dorsum: pronotum slightly darker, more reddish fuscous than elytron; body length 4.0– 4.25 mm; females only .................................... T. joliveti , n. sp.

19. Abdominal ventrite 1 with surface gently convex, shield-like; metafemur not clavate; metatibia ± straight; pronotum subpiceous, dull with fine, close puncturation; elytral humerus briefly pale, inner discal area dark reddish, side darker piceous; 2 posthumeral interstices ± swollen; side moderately pubescent; body length 3.6–3.8 mm ................ ............................................................................................................................................ T. subsericea Heller (part).

- Abdominal ventrite 1 with surface ± bulbous basally before bending to plane of following ventrites; metafemur clavate; metatibia strongly sinuate; elytral posthumeral costae strongly developed; dorsum dark red-fuscous but more reddish on elytral posthumeral and apical areas; body length 3.5–4.0 mm .................... T. nigrans Jolivet et al.