Apotropina aequalis (Becker, 1911)

Figs 4A-D, 25A, B

Parahippelates aequalis Becker, 1911: 111; Malloch 1924: 331.

Lasiopleura (Lasiopleura) aequalis: Malloch 1936: 23; 1940: 271.

Parahippelates variabilis Curran, 1936: 50 (synonymy: Sabrosky 1989: 651).

Type locality.

Papua New-Guinea: Stephansort, Astrolabe Bay (coll. Biró).

Distribution.

Australia: Australian Capital Territory ( “Blundell’s, Molongo R."; Canberra), New South Wales (Como; "Coramba-Dorrigo Rd"); PAPUA NEW-GUINEA: Bismarck Archipelago; SOLOMON ISLANDS: (Guadalcanar Is.; Santa Ana Is.; Matema Is.).

Examined material.

Allotype [= paratype] ♀ Label transcription: " Guadalcanar Island, V-20-33; Kau Kau Plantation; Solomon Islands; M Willows Jr., Collector; Templeton Crocker Exped. 1933; Parahippelates variabilis Currani Allotype ♀; Collection of the California Academy Of Sciences, San Francisco, California". Deposited in the CAS.

Taxonomic notes.

This species was originally described from Papua New-Guinea based on a single specimen (sex not indicated); some Australian specimens were subsequently determined to the species (Malloch 1924, 1940). Note that Malloch (1940) erroneously stated that the type as "[o]riginally described from Sydney". Type is indicated to be in the same collection as A. nudiseta Becker, apparently deposited in the Hungarian Natural History Museum, Hungary; however, the authors were not able to examine this material for this study, but were able to obtain an allotype of Parahippelates variabilis Curran (Fig. 4A-D), with the following chaetotaxy observed: 2 vibrissae; 1 weak decussate interfrontal setae; 2 postpronotal setae; 2 scapular setae; 1+1 notopleural setae; strong biseriate divergent acrostichal row; 1+3 dorsocentral setae; postalar and intrapostalar setae present; 1 weak acrostichal prescutellar setae; 2 setulae on scutellum; katepisternal seta weak. Becker (1911) did include a drawing of the head in lateral view (Fig. 25A) and Malloch (1940) illustrated the hind tibial spur (Fig. 25B). This species does not have any immediately distinctive diagnosable character sets based on existing descriptions. As such, study with more identified material from recorded localities would be useful for determining the limits of this apparently widespread species. Note that the images provided in Fig. 4A-D are of the P. variabilis allotype specimen. Original description and subsequent taxonomic notes in Suppl. material 1.