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PACIFIC SCIENCE, VoL IX, April, 1955 
responding hairs simple or with at most 6 
short branches; large simple hairs as on 
thorax; hairs 0, 2 and 14 minute or small, 
always simple; pattern of chaetotaxy gen- 
erally as in melanesiensis ; hair 10-I-VI(2-4b, 
well developed and most conspicuous hair 
on venter), 9-I-VI(l-4b, also well developed), 
5-I-VI(2-4b, moderately developed, most 
conspicuous dorsal hair), 13-I-VI(l-4b, ex- 
tremely variable in development, often very 
small), l-I-VI(l-5b, usually small, incon- 
spicuous, sometimes minute), 6-I-VI (usually 
single, sometimes double on I); other hairs 
on I-VI simple. Terminal abdominal seg- 
ments as in Figure 1. 
Discussion 
T. caledonica has been reported only from 
New Caledonia and breeds exclusively in 
Nepenthes pitchers. The larvae are unlike those 
of any other member of the complex in that 
hairs 0, 2 and 14 are inconspicuous, single, 
minute or small hairs instead of large, stellate 
tufts on all abdominal segments. There is a 
considerable variation in the development of 
other hairs which are stellate in related spe- 
cies, but, in the material examined, there is 
no overlap with these species. As noted in the 
description, there are a number of unique 
larval characters which, together with the 
features mentioned above, make this larva 
superficially so strikingly different that with- 
out correlation with the adults it would not 
appear to belong to the complex. At the same 
time, the general degree of development of 
the chaetotaxy of the fourth instar larva of 
caledonica is reminiscent of the condition 
found in the younger instars of the more 
generalized members of the complex. This 
"pseudoneotenic” condition, found in many 
other Tripteroides breeding in Nepenthes , is 
apparently not entirely genetic and may be 
associated, to some extent at least, with the 
unfavorable breeding environment as shown 
by the considerable individual variation. 
While the pupae and adults are generally 
similar to melanesiensis and folicola , they also 
appear to possess distinctive characters. Addi- 
tional material of all stages is much desired 
to establish the normal range of variation in 
this species. 
To date caledonica is the only species of its 
section reported breeding in Nepenthes pitchers 
but it seems that others must exist in areas in 
New Guinea and islands to the east, as well 
as in northeastern Australia, where Nepenthes 
occurs and where this section is represented 
by other species. Utilization of this unusual 
larval habitat is characteristic of the entire 
genus and has resulted in extensive speciation 
in New Guinea and the Philippines. 
Distribution 
New Caledonia, Houailou: 1M, IF, July 
31 and August 1, 1914, bred from pitcher of 
Nepenthes (P. D. Montague) [BMNH]. La 
Coidee River: 8M, 6F, 9P, 12L, February, 1954, 
in Nepenthes pitcher (L. J. Dumbleton) [US 
NM, BMNH, JNB]. 
2. T. (M.) folicola Belkin, new species 
Fig. 2 
1944. Tripteroides caledonica. Knight, Bohart 
and Bohart. Keys Mosq. Australasian 
Reg. pp. 19, 67 ( partim ). 
1946. Tripteroides (M.) caledonica. Perry, Pan- 
Pacific Ent. 22: 13-14 {partim). 
Diagnosis 
ADULTS. — Abdomen with apical light ab- 
dominal bands poorly developed or absent. 
Supraalar area without broad, apically round- 
ed, dark scales. Lower sternopleural bristles 
present. Cannot be distinguished from north- 
ern melanesiensis. 
pupa.— Pigmentation a very uniform, bright 
yellowish brown, abdominal intersegmental 
areas dark brown; trumpet bright deep yellow 
brown; integumentary abdominal sculpturing 
very uniform and distinct throughout. Trum- 
pet index about 2.5; width at basal 0 1 about 
0.5 of that at middle; pinna about 0.30. Hairs 
