Xerapelpa monteithi Kasalo & Skejo, n. sp.

(Figs 27-29)

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 521B3B4D-A49A-4142-A86E-7BF265735D49

TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype. New Caledonia • 1 ♀ holotype; Col d’Amieu, west slope; 21°36’53”S, 165°49’4”E; 470 m a.s.l.; 25.XI.2003; Monteith leg.; pyrethrum – logs and trees; MNHN-EO-CAELIF11328.

Paratypes. New Caledonia • 1 ♂; Col d’Amieu, west slope; 21°36’53”S, 165°49’4”E; 470 m a.s.l.; 27.I.2004; Monteith leg.; pyrethrum – logs without epiphytes QM Reg. No. T 258448 • 1 ♀; Col d’Amieu, west slope; 21°36’53”S, 165°49’4”E; 470 m a.s.l.; 27.I.2004; Monteith leg.; pyrethrum – logs without epiphytes; QM Reg. No. T 258449 .

TYPE LOCALITY. — Province Sud, Col d’Amieu, west Slope, 470 m.

M ATERIAL EXAMINED. — New Caledonia • 1 ♀; Mt Panié; 20°34’12”S, 164°46’26”E; 950 m a.s.l.; 16.V.1984; Monteith, Cook leg.; pyrethrum – trees; QM • 2♂; Aoupinié; 21°11’20”S, 165°18’7”E; 650-750 m a.s.l.; 18-19.V.1984; Monteith, Cook leg.; QM • 2 ♂, 3 N; Pic d’Amoa, north slope; 20°57’25”S, 165°17’27”E; 500 m a.s.l.; 31.I.2002; Monteith leg; hand collecting; QM • 2♂; Pic d’Amoa, north slope; 20°57’25”S, 165°17’27”E; 500 m a.s.l.; 26.XI.2003 - 30.I.2004; Monteith leg.; hand collecting, flight intercept; QM • 2♂, 1 N; Col d’Amieu, top; 21°36’25”S, 165°48’36”E; 450 m a.s.l.; 12.XI.2001; Monteith, Burwell leg.; hand collecting; QM • 1 ♀, 1 ♂; Col d’Amieu, west slope; 21°36’53”S, 165°49’4”E; 470 m a.s.l.; 27.I.2004; Monteith leg.; pyrethrum – logs without epiphytes; QM • 1 N; Col d’Amieu, west slope; 21°36’53”S, 165°49’4”E; 470 m a.s.l.; 29.IX.2004; Monteith leg.; pyrethrum – logs and trees; QM • 3 ♂, 1 N; Col d’Amieu, west slope; 21°36’53”S, 165°49’4”E; 470 m a.s.l.; 25.XI.2003; Monteith leg.; pyrethrum – logs and trees; QM • 1 ♀; Col d’Amieu, forest; 21°35’23”S, 165°48’14”E; 400 m a.s.l.; 8-9.V.1984; Monteith, Cook leg.; QM • 1 N, 1♂; Mt Rembai, top junction; 21°34’51”S, 165°50’38”E; 780 m a.s.l.; 19.XII.2004; Monteith leg.; hand collecting; QM • 1♀; Mt Rembai; 21°35’13”S, 165°50’34”E; 700-900 m a.s.l.; 9.V.1984; Monteith, Cook leg.; QM • 1 ♀; Mt Rembai; 21°34’37”S, 165°50’9”E; 650 m a.s.l.; 9.V.1984; Monteith, Cook leg.; QM • 1 ♀; Mt Rembai; 21°34’37”S, 165°50’9”E; 760 m a.s.l.; 9.V.1984; Monteith, Cook leg.; QM • 1 ♀; Ningua, camp; 21°44’45”S, 166°9’18”E; 1100 m a.s.l.; 12-13.XI.2001; Burwell, Monteith leg.; pyrethrum – logs and trees; QM • 1 ♀; Ningua, camp; 21°44’45”S, 166°9’18”E; 1100 m a.s.l.; 29.I.2002; Monteith leg.; pyrethrum – trees; QM • 1 ♀, 1 N; Mt Do, summit; 21°45’14”S, 166°0’0”E; 1000 m a.s.l.; 21-22.XI.2003; Monteith leg.; QM • 1 N; Mt Do, 0.5 km before summit; 21°45’28”S, 166°0’3”E; 950 m a.s.l.; 22.XI.2003; Monteith leg.; pyrethrum – logs and trees; QM • 1♂, 1 N; Mt Humboldt refuge, creek; 21°52’58”S, 166°24’46”E; 1350 m a.s.l.; 7.XI.2002; Burwell leg.; pyrethrum – logs and trees; QM • 1 N; Mt Humboldt, source; 21°52’47”S, 166°24’46”E; 1300 m a.s.l.; 5-8.XI.2002; Monteith, Burwell leg.; pyrethrum – logs and trees; QM • 1 N; Mt Humboldt, beyond summit; 21°52’55”S, 166°25’19”E; 1500 m a.s.l.; 7.XI.2002; Burwell leg.; QM • 1 ♂; Mt Do, summit; 21°45’14”S, 166°0’0”E; 1000 m a.s.l.; 5.XI.2002; Monteith, Burwell leg.; pyrethrum – logs and trees; QM • 1 ♀, 1 ♂; Mt Dzumac, Rd junction; 22°1’55”S, 166°28’1”E; 950 m a.s.l.; 4.XII.2003; Monteith leg.; hand collecting; QM • 1 ♂; Col d’Amieu; 11-14.III.1986; J. Boudinot leg.; MNHN-EO-CAELIF10883 .

DISTRIBUTION. — Sparsely distributed across most of New Caledonia.

HABITAT. — Found at night in humid forests, on decomposing tree trunks on the ground.

ETYMOLOGY. — Named for Dr Geoff Monteith who, while curator of entomology at the Queensland Museum, led numerous collecting expeditions to mountain rainforests of North Queensland, New Caledonia and Fiji between 1980 and 2008.

DIAGNOSIS. — Antennae filiform, composed of 12 visible segments. Segments 3-6 with long protrusions at their apices. Median carina distinct and elevated throughout its length, forming small elevation above lateral lobes. Third tarsal segment expanded.