﻿SOLOMON ISLANDS TRIPTEROIDES — BELKIN 



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In the Solomons nine species are known at the present time. Table 

 8 show^s the distribution in the islands that have been studied. Not 

 more than five species are known to occur on any one island. 2\ 

 soloTnonis is probably the most widely distributed as well as the com- 

 monest species throughout the Solomons. T. mathesoni has been found 

 on all the islands where a search for it has been made, and T. coheni 

 is reported also from the northern, central, and eastern Solomons. 

 T. distigma and T. -floridensis are known only from single collections 

 in the Florida group. The remaining species show an interesting 

 distribution. T. torohinae and T. hinotata occur only in the northern 

 Solomons, while T. stonei and T. lipovskyi are apparently restricted 

 to the central and eastern islands. 



' Numbers in parentheses Indicate endemic species. 

 • Includes one species from Nissan. 



It is of interest to determine the affinities of the Solomon 

 Tripteroides with those found in nearby regions. All the species 

 known from the Solomon Islands are endemic. All but one have their 

 nearest relatives in New Guinea or intermediate areas. T. soloTUonis 

 is the one exception. Its near relatives atripes (Skuse) and punc- 

 tolateralis (Theobald) occur in temperate and tropical Australia. 

 This group is not represented at all in New Guinea. When the fauna 

 of New Britain and New Ireland is better known it is likely that closer 

 relationship may be exhibited with forms in these islands than with 

 those of New Guinea, but it is doubtful that any species will be found 



