Alampoides alychnus (Kirsch, 1873)

Fikáček, Martin, Skuhrovec, Jiří, Šípek, Petr & Fikáček, for abstracts see, 2011, Abstracts of the Immature Beetles Meeting 2011, Acta Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 51 (2), pp. 731-756 : 744-745

First record of bioluminescence in larvae of Alampoides alychnus (Kirsch, 1873) ( Elateridae : Agrypninae )

Simone P. ROSA & Cleide COSTA

Museu de Zoologia , Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Nazaré, 481, 04263-000 São Paulo, SP, Brazil ; e-mails: [e-mail] and [e-mail]

During a scientific trip to Campo Novo dos Parecis, Mato Grosso, Brazil (S13º36′33.8″ W57º52’9.5″) from July 25 to August 04, 2008, S. P. Rosa collected two elaterid larvae. They were found in the soil, at an altitude of 528 m, between a region of sugarcane crop and the gallery forest of the Membeca river.

These larvae were bioluminescent and were kept in the laboratory in a ‘Germination Camera Fanem mod. 347’ at 26°C and were weekly fed with termite workers. One larva pupated on October 5, 2009 and the adult appeared two weeks later. The second larva died before pupation. Larvae and pupa were photographed and the luminescence patterns could be seen in a dark place. The larvae showed bioluminescence in one pair of luminous spots on the mesonotum and a longitudinal series of median spots on the metanotum and on all abdominal segments. The mesothoracic spots were larger and brighter than the metathoracic and abdominal luminous organs. The pupa illuminated the same spots as in the larva and also showed a diffuse glow over the entire body.

At first we identified the larvae as a Pyrophorini . But it was surprising to see that the newborn adult, identified as Alampoides alychnus (Kirsh, 1873) , did not present bioluminescence at all or vestigial trait of luminous organs.

Alampoides was originally described by Schwarz in 1902 (type-species Pyrophorus submaculatus Schwarz, 1902 ; Hyslop’s designation, 1921). The genus has five known species, which occur in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil ( Amazonas and Mato Grosso). Adults are characterized by the mandibles with teeth, antennal segment 3 usually twice as long as 2 and mesosternal cavity open and slightly raised behind. It was located in the Heligmini and Alampina ( COSTA 1975 ). JOHNSON (2002) replaced the name Heligmini Costa, 1975 by Cleidecostini because of the homonymy of the type genus .

The larval bioluminescent pattern of A. alychnus differs from the luminescent patterns presented by Pyrophorini species (COSTA 1970, CASARI- CHEN & COSTA 1986, ROSA et al. 2010) especially in the absence of luminescent spots on prothorax. The median luminescent spots of metanotum and abdominal segments are similar to those of Pyrearinus janus (Herbst, 1906) , although the latter has an additional pair of lateral spots.

Larva and pupa of A. alychnus are very similar to those of the Pyrophorini . The larva is more similar to the well-known Pyrophorus larvae for its mandible with two setae, abdominal terga 1–8 with one anterolateral and two posterolateral pairs of setae and for its abdominal tergum 9 with four pairs of tubercles forming two lateral rows anteriorly to the bifurcate urogomphi. The antenna has one AS 3 as in P. noctilucus Linnaeus, 1758 and P. punctatissimus Blanchard, 1843 .

The similarities and the presence of bioluminescence in Alampoides alychnus suggest a close phylogenetic relationship between Pyrophorini and Cleidecostini and also indicate that the luminescent organs can have been lost in the adult stage of the later species.

CASARI-CHEN & COSTA C. 1986: Larvas de Coleoptera da Região Neotropical XV. Revisão de Pyrophorini ( Elateridae , Pyrophorinae ). Revista Brasileira de Entomologia 30: 323–357.

COSTA C. 1970: Genus Pyrophorus . 3. Life-history, larva and pupa of Pyrophorus punctatissimus Blanchard ( Coleoptera , Elateridae ). Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 23: 69–76.

COSTA C. 1975: Systematics and evolution of the tribes Pyrophorini and Heligmini with description of Campyloxeninae , new subfamily ( Coleoptera , Elateridae ). Arquivos de Zoologia 26(2): 49–191.

JOHNSON P. J. 2002: Lectotype designations for Elateridae (Coleoptera) described by George C. Champion in the Biologia Centrali-Americana. Dugesiana 9(1): 15–46.

ROSA S. P., COSTA C. & HIGASHI N. 2010: New data on the natural history and description of the immatures of Fulgeochlizus bruchi, a bioluminescent beetle from Central Brazil ( Elateridae , Pyrophorini ). Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia 50: 635–641.