Trisinuata caudabifurca, 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 : 117-118

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.3653.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:72A07BC6-AEB0-4EBC-AFA8-F5871065680F
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/E46FF216-5E76-C538-FF6F-BDC4FF6CEE53
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Trisinuata caudabifurca
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Trisinuata caudabifurca View in CoL sp. nov.

[ Figs 228–241 View FIGURES 228–238 View FIGURES 239–250 ]

Holotype. Male. NEW GUINEA: 7.20S, 146.45E, Morobe Pr., 4.5 mi w Wau, Edie Cr. Rd. , at Namie Cr. elev. ca 500', November 17, 1969, J.E. Lloyd, (G615.) ( ANIC). GoogleMaps

Paratype s* (5). NEW GUINEA: 144.37E, 5.47S, Western Highlands Pr. : Banz , Fatima school, xi.7.1969, J. Buck, male (Tube B /9, labelled ‘flickerer’); 8.15pm., xi.6.1969, J. Buck, male (Tube B /4). Simbu Pr., Chimbu Dist. : Kundiu (sic), Catherine Mission, Oct. 25, 1969, J. E. Lloyd, male ( JELC); Kondiu Farm site 1, sweep of fly outs Nov. 30, 1969, E. Ball. male; Kondiu 16.x.1969, J. Buck (Tube II /2), male ( ANIC) GoogleMaps .

*All specimens collected by Buck and Ball have label data quoted exactly as it appears in the tubes, to allow association with field records. The following paratypes have no associated flashing data.

NEW GUINEA: 6.13S, 143.39E, Papua, S. Highlands, Mendi, 1660 m, 13.x.1958, light trap, JLG, male ( BPBM) GoogleMaps . Arabuka , 1500–2000 m, 7.i.1968, JS, male ( BPBM) . Kundiu , 9 Nov., 1969, J.E. Lloyd, male (G544) ( ANIC) . 7.15S, 146.48E, Mt Missim , 1600 m, 27.v.1966, malaise trap, JLG, male ( BPBM) GoogleMaps . 7.20S, 146.45E, Wau, Morobe District : 1100–1200 m, vi. 1968, NK, male ( BPBM) GoogleMaps ; 1150–1600 m, 9.ii.1968, JS, male ( BPBM) ; 1200 m, 30.xii.1964, M. V. light trap, JS, male; 5–6.xii.1961, 2 males; 14.vii.1961 light trap, male; 1250 m 12.iii.1969, male; 12.iv.1965 malaise trap, male; 1200–1300 m, 14.iii.1963, male; 16.vi.1965 male; 1450 m, 6.ii.1963 male ( BPBM) ; same data as Holotype, 2 females (G623, 624) ( JELC) GoogleMaps . Wau , Morobe Distr., Namoi Creek: 1670 m 26.viii.1963, malaise trap, JS, male; 1700–1800 m, xii. 1965, JS, male; 1750 m 17.viii.1965, malaise trap, JS, male ( BPBM) . Wau , Bulolo River, 850–900 m, 24.viii.1965, JS, male ( BPBM) . Western Highlands , Goiburung, East of Korn farm, 1560 m, x.15.1958, light trap, JLG, male ( BPBM) .

Diagnosis. Males with orange pronotum and dark brown elytra, distinguished by the greatly developed PLP of V7.

Code names. Luciola “super fork tail”, “Swallow tail”; Luciola 14, Lloyd (1973a).

Male. 5.7–7.0 mm long. Colour ( Fig. 239 View FIGURES 239–250 ): pronotum bright yellow, semitransparent; (paler area of irregular retraction of fat body across anterior and posterior margins and median area where fat body not retracted may appear darker); MS, MN, elytra, head between eyes, antennae, and palpi, very dark brown; ventral surface of pronotum yellow, except for brown prosternum and precoxal bridges; entire ventral surface of meso and metathorax, and all of legs very dark brown; basal abdominal ventrites dark brown; posterior margin of V5 narrowly white; V6 white; LO halves in V7 creamy white, remainder of V7 yellowish, with white areas where underlying muscle is visible externally ( Fig. 240 View FIGURES 239–250 ), and a brown area anterior to the median posterior projection of V7 ( Fig. 240 View FIGURES 239–250 ); median posterior projection of V 7 in Tubes B/4, B/9 is brown; T1–5 light brown; T6–8 semitransparent laterally and pale brown medially ( Fig. 241 View FIGURES 239–250 ); or T8 light brown (Kondiu, farm site 1). Pronotum ( Fig. 236 View FIGURES 228–238 , 239 View FIGURES 239–250 ): 1.5–1.7 mm wide; 0.8–1.0 mm long; W/L = 1.5–2.0; punctures shallow, separated by their width; midanterior margin broadly rounded, moderately projecting beyond acute anterolateral corners; median posterior margin indented; most of disc gently and smoothly convex, otherwise excavated as figured. Elytra: punctures dense, some contiguous; apex of left elytron on holotype slightly down-turned, probably damaged. Head: slightly depressed between eyes; GHW 0.9–1.3mm; SIW 0.3mm; ASD = ASW. Abdomen ( Figs 228–232 View FIGURES 228–238 , 240, 241 View FIGURES 239–250 ): LO extending into PLP which are bluntly rounded at apices and may incline gently ventrally ( Fig. 231 View FIGURES 228–238 ); muscle blocks may be visible in dorsal surfaces of PLP ( Fig. 229 View FIGURES 228–238 ); MPP narrowed at apex which may be entire or finely emarginated, and incline dorsally ( Figs 228, 230, 231, 233, 234 View FIGURES 228–238 , 240 View FIGURES 239–250 ). T8: flanges short rounded ( Fig. 232 View FIGURES 228–238 ). Aedeagus ( Fig. 237 View FIGURES 228–238 ): elongate slender (L = 5XW) with apex of ML flattened (viewed from side).

Female. Macropterous, coloured as for male except for LO restricted to V6; associated by label data only.

Etymology. The specific name emphasises the development of V7 (cauda = tail; bifurca = 2 forked).

Remarks. Lloyd’s nickname “Swallowtail” (pers comm.) describes the posterolateral processes of V7. Their ventral inclination and the dorsally inclined median posterior projection of V7 might indicate a wedge or clasper for the female abdomen, or more likely a consequence of dehydration. Ballantyne (1987a Fig. 2a, b View FIGURE 2 ) described the terminal abdomen of ‘ Luciola species 14’ and discussed terminal abdomen modifications in the Luciolinae and their possible significance.

Lloyd (1973a) noted males of this species “active in the crown of a 50 ft tree standing in the ravine ...”; males emitted rapid flickers of variable duration.

Lloyd’s field records for G615 are “looks like long flicker from Mengendi, but (he) also saw short (flickers) in this area i.e. ¾ (second) flicker each 1.5 seconds”, and for G413 “long flicker”. The two females are associated by label data only. Their field data reads “glowing on road edge near tree with long flicker sp. (i.e. caudabifurca ) in it”.