﻿SOLOMON ISLANDS TRIPTEROIDES — BELKIN 267 



three or four branches ; ventral tufts short, with 6 to 10 branches ; ven- 

 tral hair of dorsal brush simple, dorsal tuft usually 5- or 6-branched. 

 Anal gills longer than segment, pointed. 



Types. — U.S.N.M. No. 59091 (holotype, allotype, and paratypes) : 



Holotype ^ and allotype 9 , Empress Augusta Bay, Bougainville, 

 January 18, 1944 (C. R. Bruck). 



Paratypes (23 5, 34 $):7 5, 11 9, same data as holotype and allo- 

 type; 3 ^,6 9 (G-125),2 9 (G-172),15 (G-205),2^ (G-224) ; 1 9 

 (G-237), 3^, 19 (G-239), 15, 3 9 (G-426), 15 (G-427), same 

 locality as holotype, January, February, and July 1944 (A. B. Gur- 

 ney) ; 4 5 , 10 9 , same locality as holotype, April 13, 1944 (Sgt. Scott) ; 

 1 ^, same locality as holotype, 1944 (W. G. Downs) [U.S.N.M.]. 



Taxonomic discussion. — T. hinotata is a typical member of the niti- 

 doventer-gvoup of the subgenus Tripteroides. It differs from hima- 

 culipes (Theobald) , its closest relative with dark scutal integument, in 

 the possession of broad dark scales in patches in front of the wing 

 roots and a central dark stripe on the head breaking the azure-blue 

 coloration. T. distigma (Edwards) resembles hinotata in having two 

 patches of dark scales on the scutum, but it is immediately differenti- 

 ated by the femoral ornamentation as well as the light scutal integu- 

 ment. T. nissanensis Lee, which may be encountered on Bougainville, 

 and T. lipovshyi^ from the lower Solomons, can be separated by the 

 light integument as well as the absence of broad scales on the scutum 

 and the head ornamentation. The male ninth tergite is indistinguish- 

 able from that of lipovshyi. It should be pointed out that the ninth 

 tergite is quite similar in several other Australasian species, himacu- 

 lipes (Theobald) and quasiornata (Taylor) particularly, and is not a 

 reliable character in this group. 



The larvae cannot be separated from those of lipovshyi. No indi- 

 vidual rearings were made but the association is undoubtedly correct. 

 For the separation of lipovshyi and hinotata larvae from other Aus- 

 tralasian forms, see the taxonomic discussion of lipovshyi. 



Variation. — Adults of this species show little variation except in 

 the position and size of the femoral markings and the coloration of the 

 scutal integument. In a few of the specimens examined the scutum is 

 only indistinctly lighter in front, while in others the lighter anterior 

 portion may be extended back to the wings. In such cases the patch 

 of scales in front of the wing roots is very conspicuous, especially as 

 the scales are found on a dark spot. The abdominal silvery markings 

 are, in a few specimens, more extensive, and on the posterior segments 

 form almost complete apical bands. 



Specimens examined : 60 adults, 65 larvae. 



Biology. — T. tinotata has been collected principally in tree holes. 

 There is one record from leaf-axils of an aroid plant (probably Alo- 



