Discovery of Chlamydopsinae (Insecta, Coleoptera, Histeridae) in Vanuatu with the description of eight new species from Espiritu Santo Island

The first species of the obligately myrmecophilous and termitophilous subfamily Chlamydopsinae (Coleoptera, Histeridae) from Vanuatu were discovered at the western slopes of Saratsi Range, Cumberland Peninsula, Espiritu Santo Island, during the SANTO 2006 biological survey. Eight new species in three genera were collected by flight intercept traps along the elevation transect from 100-900 m above sea level and are described herein: Ceratohister vanuatu n. sp., Chlamydopsis caterinoi n. sp., Eucurtiopsis corbarai n. sp., E. degallieri n. sp., E. ibisca n. sp., E. kitchingi n. sp., E. pascali n. sp. and E. penaoru n. sp. Nothing is known about their social insect hosts since limited search in colonies of some common ant species did not yield any beetles.