Luciola nicollieri ( Bugnion, 1922 )

De Silva, Dilshan Ruwansiri, Wijekoon, Chandana Dammika, Wegiriya, Hemantha Edirisinghe, Bandara, Sadun Nalaka & Madushanka, Thisara Ishan, 2023, Re-description of Luciola nicollieri Bugnion, 1922 (Lampyridae, Luciolinae) in Sri Lanka, Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics 9 (2), pp. 331-341 : 335-337

Luciola nicollieri ( Bugnion, 1922)

Luciola nicollieri Bugnion, 1922 ; McDermott, 1966:110 (Checklist); Wijekoon et al., 2012:139 (misidentification); Fu, 2014:47); Wijekoon et al., 2016:68 (list), 70 (Checklist); Yiu, 2017:98; Ballantyne et al. 2019:103 (List of Luciolinae ).

Material examined. syntype ♂ Luciola nicollieri , CEYLON ( RMNH) [ Photographs ] ; 12♂♂, 01 ♀, SRI LANKA: Southern Province, Walasmulla ( 6°14'36.7"N 80°39'09.1"E, 184 m a.s.l.), 25.III.2022, 28.III.2022, 25.V.2022, 07.VI.2022, 17.VIII.2022, Collector: H.S.D. R. De Silva (DOZUORSL) .

Note. "Jusoh and Ballantyne (in prep) address features of various Luciolinae types located in RMNH, including a type of Luciola nicollieri . Ballantyne confirmed identification of our specimens as L. nicollieri , and considered features of the aedeagus we describe consistent with those of the type specimen". There were no reference specimens deposited in National Museum, Colombo, Sri Lanka since no any specimen in the repository collection but the label of the specimen is remain ( Wijekoon et al., 2016).

Diagnosis. Male large exposed head, orange pronotum, orange mesoscutellum, black elytra with narrow orange margins around all margins except across the base, legs mainly orange, basal abdominal ventrites black, white light organ in ventrites VI and VII. Luciola nicollieri differs from many other Luciola species in that the tip of the aedeagal sheath sternite is folded back over itself ( Fig. 3A). Female Black elytra have thin orange margins which are narrow than their males, orange median patch with black lateral sides at ventrites II–V, light organ in ventrite VI.

Re-description. Male ( Figs 2A, 2B, Table 2) Body dorsum is black with orange pronotum and mesoscutellum. black ventrites except the light organ in ventrites VI and VII. TBL: 7.0–8.0 mm, TBW: 3.0– 4.0 mm. Head: Head moderately exposed in front of pronotum. Antennae with 11 antennomeres; filiform shape antennae; all segments slender and elongate; AL: 2.5–3.0 mm. Pronotum: orange; median anterior margin broadly rounded; posterolateral corners are broad; PL: 1.4–1.5 mm, PW: 2.5–3.0 mm. Elytra: black; each elytron has narrow orange margins around all margins except across the base; elytra have no distinct intestinal lines or punctures; EL: 5.0–6.0 mm, EW: 3.0–4.0 mm. Thorax: Thorax black color ventrally. Femur orange; tibia, tarsus and claws of legs are black. Abdomen: Abdominal ventrites II–V black; ventrites VI and VII wholly occupied by white light organs; ventrite VII tapers posteriorly and which covered by transparent tergite VIII. MLOL: 1.0– 1.5 mm, MLOW: 2.0– 2.5 mm. Aedeagal sheath ( Figs 3A, 3B, 3C): length 0.7 mm, width 0.2 mm; it enfolds the aedeagus; anterior part of sheath sternite is widest at tergite articulations; very short tergites joins to sternites at both sides and two short posterior projections can be seen; the tip of the aedeagal sheath sternite is folded back over itself (indicates by x in Fig. 3A). Aedeagus ( Figs 3D, 3E, 3F): length 0.4 mm, width 0.2 mm, strongly curved median lobe of the aedeagus terminating in a pre-apical point, and elongate narrow pointed lobes arising from the inner ventral margins of the lateral lobe; narrowed aedeagal lateral lobe which are widely separated along their mid dorsal line and bear a small hook along the inner margins (indicates by Y in Fig. 3E); aedeagal median lobe strongly expanded in basal area with apical area very much narrowed; the most distinctive feature is the side projections of the median lobe just behind the apex (indicates by Z in Fig. 3E).

Female ( Figs 2C, 2D, Table 2) Flightless form, Body dorsum and ventral color almost identical to males, forewings fully developed but hind wings partially developed, TBL: 9.0 mm, TBW: 3.5 mm. Head: Head moderately exposed in front of pronotum; Antennae with 11 antennomeres; filiform shape antennae; all segments slender and elongate (AL: 3 mm). Pronotum: orange; median anterior margin broadly rounded; posterolateral corners are broad; PL: 1.5 mm, PW: 3.0 mm. Elytra: black elytra with narrow orange margins around all margins except across the base; elytra has no distinct intestinal lines or punctures; orange margins not wider as males; forewings fully developed (EL: 6.0 mm, EW: 1.5 mm) and hind wings partially developed (length: 3.0 mm, width: 1.0 mm). Thorax: Thorax black ventrally. Femur orange; tibia, tarsus and claws of legs are black. Abdomen: Abdominal ventrites II-V; black lateral sides with median orange patch, ventrites VI occupy by creamy white light organ, ventrite VII tapers posteriorly, the end of the ventrite VII bear transparent long ovipositor.