Sclerotia seriata ( Olivier 1891 ) Olivier, 1891

Ballantyne, Lesley A., Lambkin, Christine L., Luan, Xin, Boontop, Yuvarin, Nak-Eiam, Sorasak, Pimpasalee, Suttisan, Silalom, Sommyot & Thancharoen, Anchana, 2016, Further studies on south eastern Asian Luciolinae: 1. Sclerotia Ballantyne, a new genus of fireflies with back swimming larvae 2. Triangulara Pimpasalee, a new genus from Thailand (Coleoptera: Lampyridae), Zootaxa 4170 (2), pp. 201-249 : 233-235

Sclerotia seriata ( Olivier 1891) comb. nov.

( Figs 23, 24 , 29−31 , 111−118 )

Luciola seriata Olivier, 1891: 602 ; 1902: 86; 1907a: 54. McDermott 1966: 113.

Type. Holotype male. MYANMAR. Labelled 1. Carin Cheba 900–1100 m L Fea vi.88 (printed); 2 seriata type E. Oliv (handwritten); 3 . TYPUS (printed in red); 4 Museum label on red card HOLOTYPUS (printed) male symbol Luciola seriata Olivier 1891 (handwritten) ( Fig. 118 ). (MCSN).

Diagnosis. One of five Sclerotia gen. nov. with pale brown dorsum but with faint traces of black tipped elytral apices, and the only species with the dark brown abdominal ventrites 3–5; distinguished by the very restricted extent of the apical elytral marking, the blunt projection of the right margin of the sheath sternite, and the median emargination of the anterior margin of the sheath tergite.

Male type redescription. 9.6 mm long; L/ W 3.2. Colour ( Figs 23, 24 ): dorsal surface pale yellowish brown with a very narrow dark brown area at elytral apices (area not clearly visible from above); head dark brown; ventral thorax dingy brown, semitransparent with visible muscle impressions confusing interpretation of colour; legs brownish yellow with dark brown tibiae and tarsi; basal abdominal ventrites dark brown; terminal two ventrites creamy yellow; basal abdominal tergites dusky brown, T8 yellow, semitransparent.

Pronotum: W/L 1.8; L/BL 0.16; W/GHW 1.5. Elytron: 0.8 as long as total body length. Head: SIW/GHW 0.16; palpomeres coated with unidentified sticky substance and teeth number not determined. Antennae incomplete. Abdomen ( Fig. 24 ): LO in V7 with wide and moderately deep emargination.

Aedeagal sheath sclerites ( Figs 29−31 , 111−114 ): ventral sclerite ( Fig. 29 “3”) triangular in outline, margin not thickened; right sclerite ( Figs 29−31 “1”, 111, 114) with four projections to right, longest projecting anteriorly, effectively forming a Y shape with two posterior pieces forming the other arm, and a short apically rounded piece in the arms of the Y; this shorter piece directed ventrally and of the two posterior projections one directed dorsolaterally and one with a curved apex directed ventrally; left sclerite ( Figs 29−31 “2”) with elongate apically rounded anterior projection and expanded hollow distal end bearing three very short pointed projections along its outer margin ( Figs 31 , 113 ).

Aedeagal sheath ( Figs 29−31 , 111 ): with oblique median ridge in posterior area of sternite; median posterior margin strongly and broadly produced on its right margin, with shallow emargination separating it from a much shorter rounded projection ( Fig. 30 “5”); median anterior margin of sheath tergite shallowly emarginated ( Fig. 31 “6”).

Aedeagus ( Figs 115−117 ): L/ W 2.1. LL of equal length with apices slightly sinuate (longer margin to the outside); inner margins not hooked; ML apex slightly acute. Length of basal piece/total length of aedeagus: 0.5.

Remarks. Olivier (1891) described a single male with two dark spots on the pronotum becoming confluent. These appear to be darker areas corresponding to underlying retraction of muscles and there is no obvious dark colouration on the pronotum of the type. This is the only specimen of this species we have been able to locate.

Figures

FIGURES 17 − 28. Sclerotia gen. nov. spp. males. 17, 18 Scl. aquatilis. 19, 20 Luciola cingulata type male (MCSN). 21, 22 Luciola brahmina type male (MNHN). 23, 24 Luciola seriata holotype male (MCSN). 25, 26 Scl. carinata male (SAMA). 27, 28 Scl. fui sp. nov. paratype males (NHMHAU). 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 28 dorsal; 18, 20, 22, 24, 26 ventral. Specimens are not to scale and are assembled to allow comparison of elytral and abdominal features.

FIGURES 29 − 31. Scl. seriata holotype male, aedeagal sheath, sclerites and tergite 8. 29 right side from slightly below; 30 ventral; 31 dorsal. Scale lines are 1 mm. Figure legend: 1 right sclerite; 2 left sclerite; 3 ventral sclerite; 4 aedeagal sheath; 5 emargination posterior margin aedeagal sheath sternite; 6 emargination anterior margin aedeagal sheath tergite.

FIGURES 111 − 118. Luciola seriata holotype male (MCSN). 111 aedeagal sheath, tergite 8 and right and left sclerites, ventral; 112 ventral sclerite ventral face anterior end to right; 113 left sclerite from below anterior end to top of page; 114 right sclerite from below anterior end to right of page; 115 − 117 aedeagus ventral (115), dorsal (116) and left lateral (117); 118 specimen labels. Scale lines are 1 mm. These figures share scale lines: 115 − 117.