﻿214 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. lOO 



Table 3. — Known distribution of Tripteroides in the Solomons 



to occur in both groups. In the subgenus Rachisoura, T. mathesoni, 

 stonei, and torokinae most closely resemble T. filipes of New Guinea 

 in general morphology but are amply distinct from it. T. stonei and 

 torokinae are apparently allopatric. They do not occur together, and 

 the degree of morphological differentiation is such that it is better 

 not to consider them as geographical subspecies. T. stonei shows 

 considerable geographical variation but not enough to warrant the 

 erection of subspecies on the basis of our present material. In the 

 subgenus Mimeteomyia, T. coheni appears to be related to argenteiven- 

 tris (Theobald) and hrugi (Edwards) of New Guinea, but it is very 

 distinct in the larval stage. T. solomonis, as has been pointed out 

 above, has its nearest relatives in Australia and shows no relationship 

 to any species in New Guinea. The Tripteroides s. s. show strong 

 similarity to New Guinea forms, especially to himaculipes and 

 quasiornata, and also to nissanensis Lee from Green Island (Nissan). 

 T. hinotata and distigma (Edwards) exhibit a character unknown 

 elsewhere in the nitidoventer-grou]y : a patch of broad scales in front 

 of the wing root. T. distigma shows distant similarity with purpurata 

 of the Fiji Island in the possession of green scutal scales. 



It is remarkable that there is hardly anything in common, except 

 the aforementioned distant similarity between distigma (Edwards) 

 and purpurata (Edwards), between the Tripteroides of the Papuan 

 area (New Guinea and the Solomon Islands) and the few species pres- 

 ent in the islands east of the Solomons. The other two species that 

 occur in this area (outside of Maorigoeldia of New Zealand), namely 

 caledonica (Edwards) and rotumana (Edwards), have their nearest 

 relatives in Tasmania and southern Australia. 



It appears then, on the basis of our present knowledge, that in the 



