Luciola aquilaclara, 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 : 71-75

Luciola aquilaclara sp. nov.

[ Figs 115–119 , 130–134, 136, 137 ]

Holotype. Male. NEW CALEDONIA: 22.19S, 166.53E Foret de Thi , 100–300m, 23–25.iii.1961, JS ( BPBM).

Paratypes. NEW CALEDONIA: 20.18S 164.24E Col d’Amein 3 km WSW 520m 14.XII.2004 1 larva (Type C), rainforest, sieved litter ; 20.18S 164.24E 520m 6.i.2005 3 larvae (2 type C, 1 type B), rainforest sieved litter; 21.37S, 165.49E 470m 27.i.2004 larva (Type B) QMBA 1120, rainforest sieved litter; 21.37S, 165.49E Col d’Amieu west slope upper 480m 3.v.2005 3 larvae (Type B, 1 larva Type C) . 20.24S, 164.32E Mandjelia Summit 780m, 6–7.xi.2001 3 larvae (Type C) QMB 1055 rainforest, 12.xii.2004 7 larvae (Type C) sieved litter ; 20.24S 164.31E Mandjelia lower creek 580m 12.xii.2004 3 larvae (1 type C, 2 type B), rainforest sieved litter . 20.26S, 164.14E Nehoue campground 50m 2 males hand collected . 20.47S 164.35E Mt Taom summit site 1 980m 7.xii.2004 larva (Type B), rainforest sieved litter; Mt Taom summit site 2 940m 7.xii.2004 larva (Type B), rainforest sieved litter; Mt Taom summit site 3 7.xii.2004 2 larvae (Type B) rainforest sieved litter . 21.09S 165.19E Aoupinie : sawmill 500m 17.xii.2004 larva (Type C) rainforest sieved litter ; 21.11S 165.19E top camp 3 males; 850m, 20–21.xi.2000 2 males; 850m 23.xi.2001 3 larvae (Type C) QMB 1045 rainforest, sieved litter; 850m 23.xi.2001 male hand collected; 750m 2.v.2005 larva (Type C). 21.25S, 166.24E, Grotte de Ninrin-Reu nr Poya, Biospel. Exped. 4.i.1965, at light, G. Gross, male ( SAMA) . 21.34S 166.07E Col de Petchecara S end 22.xi.2003 – 29.i.2004 FIT male ; 21.34S 166.06E Col de Petchecara middle FIT male . 21.35S, 165.59E Gelima 5 kms S 485m 15.xi.2002 larva (Type B) QMB 1083 rainforest, sieved litter . 21.35S 165.50E Mt Rembai 700m 30.xii.2004 1 larva (Type C) rainforest, sieved litter . 21.45S 166.00E Mt Do Summit 1000m 22.xi.2003 – 28.i.2004 male Min. FIT . 22.02S 166.28E Dzumac Road junction 950m 9.xi.2002 3 larvae (Types B, C) QMB 1077 rainforest, sieved litter; Dzumac Road 22.03S 166.28E 700m 5.xii.2003 – 26.i.2004 male FIT GM (taken with male L. oculofissa sp. nov.). 22.05S 166.22E Mt Mou base 350m 4.ii.2004 2 larvae (Types B, C) QMB 1119 rainforest, sieved litter . 22.06S, 166.39E Riv. Bleue panoramic track 160m 12 males (9 males 20.xi–11.xii.2000) malaise trap . 22.09S 166.41E Houp Geant 320m 6.v.2005 2 larvae (Type C) . 22.15S 166.49E Pic du Pin site 1 QM party 26.xi.2004 10 males night hand collected rainforest, male pyrethrum knock down (4 males L. oculofissa sp. nov. taken at this site) . 22.19S, 166.53E Foret de Thi , 100–300m, 23–25.iii.1961, JS 19 males ( BPBM) . 22.19S, 166.55E, Foret de Nord sites 1, 2 QM party, 480m, 2.xii.2004, male (site 1), male (site 2) rainforest at night hand collected; 210m site 2 21.iv.2005, larva (Type C). All specimens in QMBA unless indicated otherwise; QMBA specimens taken by a team of P. Bouchard, C. Burwell, P. Grimbacher, G Monteith and S. Wright .

Diagnosis. Known only from New Caledonia; dorsal colouration deep grey as for L. antipodum , L. oculofissa sp. nov. and L. hypocrita . Distinguished by the well developed LOs in V6, 7 ( Fig. 119 ) occupying all but a very narrow posterior margin of V7, and the lack of any obvious eye emargination when head is withdrawn ( Figs 115, 116 ).

Male. 4.1–6.0 mm long. Colour ( Figs 116, 119 ): body very dark brownish grey, pronotum very dark and often contrasting with the slightly paler elytra; T8 paler brown and semitransparent; white LOs occupying all of V6, 7 except for a narrow posterior margin in V7 ( Fig. 119 ). Pronotum ( Fig. 116 ): 0.8–1.2 mm long; 1.2––1.7 mm wide, W/L 1.3–1.5; pronotal width subequal to humeral width or slightly less in some pinned specimens. Elytron: 3.3–4.8 mm long; subparallelsided. Head ( Figs 117, 118 ): GHW 1.1–1.4mm; SIW 0.1–0.15mm; antennal sockets almost contiguous; the small mouthparts may indicate that this species does not feed as an adult. Aedeagus ( Figs 111– 113 ): ML with very narrow apex, shorter than LL which curve inwards at their narrowed rounded apices; LL widely separated along middorsal line, with a rounded projection along inner margins at approximately half their length from the apex; BP very narrow.

Female. Unknown. Probably flightless. Males have most of the ventral head area devoted to compound eyes ( Fig. 117 ) and have simple short antennae so are probably relying on sighting the female response from above.

Larva ( Figs 130 – 134, 136, 137 ). Associated by correspondence of collecting data with that of males and distinguished by features outlined in Table 11, and below. Larvae are described as either Type B or C of which B may represent earlier instars of C and differs only in colouration as described below. Both types were often taken at the same site. Instars not identified.

Colour: Type B: (e.g. Col d’Amieu, Gelima Figs 130, 131 ) ( Fu et al. 2012b Figs 52–54 ) thoracic terga light to quite dark brown; some with terga 2 and 3 dark with 2 pale markings along anterior area near mid line on each ( Fig. 131 ), abdominal terga dark brown with pale markings scattered, terga 7 and 8 largely pale with dark markings along median line, and 9 dark with pale anterolateral corners. Paler Type B larvae (e.g. Mt Taom summit Fig. 136 ) with light brown thoracic terga and abdominal terga 1–6, with 7, 8 largely pale, having dark markings along mid line and anterior margin only. Type C ( Figs 132, 133, 134, 137 ): thoracic terga 1–3 quite dark with some paler markings (along posterior margins in Aoupinnie larvae Fig. 137 , towards posterior margin and to sides in Mandjelia larvae Fig. 132 ); abdominal terga ( Figs 132, 137 ) 1–3 or 1–5 pale yellow with irregular brown markings, abdominal terga 4–6 largely brown, dark markings sometimes restricted to tergum 6; terga 7, 8 largely pale yellow with some dark markings; most of tergum 9 brown. Ventral plates on both larval types are brown. Dorsal surface ( Figs 131, 132, 136, 137 ): well sclerotised, with pale punctures scattered evenly over the surface; well defined pale median line running from anterior margin of protergum to posterior margin of abdominal tergum 8; all terga with short paired projections along posterior margin beside mid line (Fu et al. 2012 Fig. 52 ); Mt Taom summit larva with short paired teeth along posterior margin of abdominal terga 1 – 6 ( Fig. 136 ). Thorax: protergum wider than long, with 4 lateral projections on each side including produced posterolateral corners (e.g. Figs 131–133, 137 ); meso and metaterga much wider than long, shorter than protergum, with 3 lateral projections on each side including the produced posterolateral corners. Abdomen ( Figs 130, 132, 133, 134 ): depending on orientation of specimen and degree of lateral extension laterotergites may be visible from above on one or both sides. Abdominal terga 1–8 with posterolateral corners prolonged narrowly and apically rounded; terga 1–8 diminish in width and increase in length; posterolateral corners narrowly prolonged ( Figs 130, 132 ) and slightly curved in some Aoupinnie and Col d’Amieu larvae ( Fig. 137 ). Ventral surface ( Figs 130, 133, 134 ) (Fu et al. 2012 Fig. 54 ): posterior margin of median sterna plates of abdominal segments 1–6 with paired narrow projections, of segments 7, 8 with shorter projections; posterior end of laterosternites (coloured part) dark, projecting; posterolateral corners of laterotergites of segments 1–8 narrow and projecting.

Etymology. The specific name highlights both the dark dorsal colouration and the large LO (aquilus, a, um latin dark coloured; clarus, a, um latin bright).

Remarks. Discovery of the existence of two new species of Luciolinae in New Caledonia has only been made possible by the extensive collecting activities of the team from the Queensland Museum. The partial or complete loss of LO material with expansion of the ventral head area as well as the development of a posterolateral eye excavation in L. antipodum and L. oculofissa sp. nov. is discussed subsequently. This species is distributed from north to south in New Caledonia and at altitudes both above and below 300m.

Figures

FIGURES 109–119. Luciola spp. Males. 109–114 Luciola antipodum Bourgeois (MNHN). 115–119 Luciola aquilaclara sp. nov. paratype male (QMBA). 109, 116 dorsal (116 head and pronotum only); 110 right posterolateral head (eye excavation arrowed); 111–113 aedeagus ventral (111), dorsal (112) and right lateral; 114 terminal abdomen and elytra ventral; 115–118 head and pronotum left lateral (115), dorsal (116), anteroventral (117) and anterior; 119 abdominal ventrites 3–7 ventral. These figures share scale lines: 111–113.

FIGURES 128–138. Luciola spp. Larvae (QMBA). Luciola oculofissa sp. nov. 128, 129 (Foret electrique), 135 (Touhu TV Tower). Luciola aquilaclara sp. nov. 130–134 (130, 131 Col d’Amieu, 132–134 Mandelia summit), 136 (Mt Taom summit), 137 (Aopinnie). 138 Luciola hypocrita. 128, 132, 135 dorsal whole body; 131 dorsal thorax only; 136 dorsal thoracic terga 2, 3, abdominal terga 1–8 (teeth along posterior margins of terga arrowed); 137 dorsal thorax and abdominal segments 1–7; 129, 130, 133 ventral; 134 left ventrolateral 3 abdominal segments. Figure legends: 1 left projection of sternum; 2 posterior projection of laterosternite; 3 posterior projection of laterotergite. These figures share scale lines: 128–130; 132, 133.

FIGURES 45–55. Australoluciola spp. 45, 54, 55 Australoluciola flavicollis, male 45, female 54, 55 (ANIC). 46 Luciola coarcticollis type male (MNHN). 47 Luciola gestroi type male (MNHN). 45–47 dorsal; 48 ventral V4–7 and T8; 49–51 aedeagus left lateral (49), ventral (50) and dorsal; 52, 53 aedeagal sheath with aedeagus ventral (52) and dorsal; 54, 55 female bursa from side (54) and beneath (55). Figure legends: 2 posterior plates; 3 anterior plates. These figures share scale lines:49– 51; 52, 53.