Australoluciola fuscamagna, Ballantyne & Lambkin, 2013

Ballantyne, Lesley A. & Lambkin, Christine L., 2013, Systematics and Phylogenetics of Indo-Pacific Luciolinae Fireflies (Coleoptera: Lampyridae) and the Description of new Genera, Zootaxa 3653 (1), pp. 1-162 : 53-55

Australoluciola fuscamagna sp. nov.

[ Figs 66–74 ]

Holotype. Male. NEW GUINEA: 7.20S, 146.45E, Morobe Pr., 4 mi n Wau. elev. c 2800' nr Kunai Creek Lae Rd. 1969, J.E. Lloyd (G322) ( ANIC).

Paratypes (4). All same locality as holotype; Oct. 17 male (G317); Nov. 12 male (G568) ( JELC); Nov. 12 male (G579); Nov. 14 male (G608) ( ANIC) .

Code names. Luciola 7, "Big Black" ( Lloyd, 1973a).

Diagnosis. Males dark brown (see Table 9) except for white posterior margin of V5, white LOs in V6, 7 and pale T6–8; distinguished from the similarly coloured Aus. fuscaparva sp. nov. by its larger size and light patterns, and from Tri. papuana by the entire LO in V7.

Male. 6.2–6.6 mm long. Colour ( Figs 66, 67, 68, 71 ): entirely dark brown except for white posterior margin of V5 ( Fig. 68 ), white LOs in V6 and 7, pale semitransparent T6–8, and white dorsally reflexed margins of V6 and 7; pronotum viewed under strong illumination is paler in convex areas and very dark brown in concave areas. Pronotum ( Fig. 71 ): 0.8–1.2 mm long; 1.2–1.4 mm wide; W/L = 1.1–1.5; midanterior margin rounded, projecting moderately beyond angulate anterolateral corners; lateral margins subparallel-sided (A=B=C); punctures small, shallow, separated over most of the disc by twice their width. Elytra ( Fig. 66 ): 5.4 mm long; shiny, punctures dense, many contiguous. Abdomen ( Figs 67, 68 ): V3, V4 posterior margins not recurved; posterior margin of V7 trisinuate; LOs in V7 occupying most of the area and reaching to sides but not to posterior margin; MPP apically rounded, L=W; as wide as and slightly longer than PLP. T8: Ventral surface of T8 with well developed lateral ridges without flanges, anterior inner area of ridges rounded; anterolateral prolongations of T8 wide, not as long as posterior entire portion. Aedeagus ( Figs 69, 70 ): anterior prolongation of ML short and wide; lateral margins of LL straight, converging posteriorly with apical ½ of lateral margins not visible beside ML; apices LL obliquely truncate and narrow; L/W=4.0.

Remarks. The specific name fuscamagna emphasizes the dark dorsal colouration (Latin, fuscus = dark or black) and the size difference (magnus = big) between this and fuscaparva ( Luciola species 8 , "Little Black") to which it is most similar. Males "emitted a rapid, 1–sec flicker of 7–11 modulations each 3–4 sec" ( Lloyd, 1973a).

All listed species are characterised by recent taxonomic treatments except for Luciola flebilis and L. picea from Sumatra, both of which have entirely dark colouration except for the white V5–7, and may have been based on the same species.

Figures

FIGURES 66–74. Australoluciola spp. 66–71 Aus. fuscamagna sp. nov. holotype male (ANIC). 72–74 Aus. fuscaparva sp. nov. holotype male (ANIC). 66, 72 dorsal, 67 ventral; 68, 73 terminal abdomen with LO; 69, 70 aedeagus ventral (69) and left lateral; 71, 74 pronota, dorsal. These figures share scale lines 69, 70.