Pygoluciola guigliae (Ballantyne)

Lambkin, L. A. Ballantyne C., 2006, A Phylogenetic Reassessment Of The Rare S. E. Asian Firefly Genus Pygoluciola Wittmer (Coleoptera: Lampyridae: Luciolinae), Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 54 (1), pp. 21-48 : 24-29

Pygoluciola guigliae (Ballantyne)

( Figs. 1, 6, 13-17 , 19, 21, 27, 30, 32, 34, 35 , 38-40 )

Luciola (Pygoluciola) guigliae Ballantyne, 1968: 120 [Holotype male British North Borneo, Bundu Tukan (BBM)].

Diagnosis. – Both sexes with strongly curved tibiae on all legs; males elongate, slender, 3.2 times as long as wide, with elytra tapering towards their apices, most similar to P. stylifer , distinguished by the darker pronotal colour, the forwardly Figure legend: AS, aedeagal sheath complex; C, coxite; LO light organ; ST, stylus; T7, T8 tergite 7, 8; V, valvifer, female genitalia.

projecting anterolateral pronotal angles, the slight narrowing in the lateral pronotal margin, and the shape of the apex of abdominal tergite 8; female with posterior margin of V 7 deeply and broadly emarginate, with lateral projections apically acute and longer than broad, and smoothly raised elevations present in lateral areas; tergite 8 lacking any median mound; anterior prolongation of V9 not as long as posterior (wider) portion of this ventrite, well sclerotised, and membranous separation from the rest of the ventrite in posterior area only.

Material Examined. – Three males, one female, Malaysia, Sabah: 5.48°N 116.26°E, Mahua, 1045 m, coll. Mahadimenakbar bin Mohamed Dawood, 19 Mar.2004, 20.45 – 22.00 hrs. ( BORN). Specimens of both P. guigliae and P. wittmeri were collected “at night by a river where some individuals formed a group of about 10, perching and flashing on branches of trees. Some were collected while flying. They are quite common here” (pers. comm. Collector). That there was more than one species was not recognised at the site, and it is not known whether one or both species aggregated in the trees or whether one or both were taken in flight. No observations on light production patterns were made .

Redescription. – Male. Body 11.1 – 11.9 mm long; 3.2 times as long as wide ( Fig. 6 ). Pronotum yellow, semitransparent, marked extensively in dark brown in median area ( Fig. 1 ); pubescence pale; underlying fat body clustered closely under cuticle in all areas except around margin; MS, MN yellow; elytra pale brown semitransparent; both suture and lateral margins are semitransparent until apex, which is very narrowly darker brown (when elytron is viewed separate to underlying hind wing); elytral punctures very dark brown, interstitial lines pale brown and margined by a single row on each side of dark punctures; head between eyes, antennae and palpi dark brown except for pale under half of FS 4 – 9 and inner half of apical segment of maxillary palpi; labrum brown, semitransparent; ventral surface of pro and mesothorax light brown, of metathorax dark brown, darker in median area; legs 1, 2, dark brown except for pale brown coxae and trochanters and ventral surface of basal 1 / 6 of femora; legs 3 dark brown except for pale trochanters and narrow basal area of femora; basal abdominal ventrites dark brown, V 6 pale semitransparent [underlying fat body shows through cuticle] along anterior margin where pale yellow light organ is broadly and shallowly emarginate; V7 pale semitransparent in areas not occupied by light organ, with underlying fat body visible especially in anterior areas, and a small, short, very dark median line just behind posterior margin of light organ; MPP pale, semitransparent; dorsal surface of tergites 2 – 6 brown, dorsally reflexed margins of ventrites 2-5 brown; tergite 7 mottled brown in median (raised area) mainly pale in lateral areas with a small median brown spot, posterior margin pale semitransparent; tergite 8 pale semitransparent with a slightly darker median line; dorsally reflexed margins of V6, V7 pale.

Pronotum ( Fig. 1 ) 2.8 – 3.0 mm (2) wide; 1.8 (2) - 1.9 mm long; width/length 1.6; pronotum 1 / 6 as long as whole body; median anterior margin not indented, projecting only slightly beyond anterolateral corners and separated from them by rounded shallow emarginations; anterolateral corners angulate, (anterior and lateral margins subtend approximately a right angle between them); lateral margins divergent posteriorly with a slight narrowing at posterior half, then diverging evenly until posterolateral corner; posterolateral corners angulate, acute, not projecting posteriorly as far as median posterior margin, which is entire, and separated from it by shallow emarginations. Elytron ( Fig. 6 ) 9.2 - 10 mm long; lateral margins diverge in anterior 2 / 9 and converge in posterior 7 / 9; maximum width across elytra, measured in anterior third, 4 mm; elytra 2.5- 3.0 mm wide (at 2 / 9 of their length from tip).

Head gently depressed between eyes; GHW 1.7 - 1.8mm; SIW 0.5 - 0.6 mm; ASD = ASW or just slightly>; apical segments of labial palpi ( Figs. 13, 14 ) with 3 teeth on each (1); 4 on R and 3 on L (1), 4 on each (1); antennal length almost 3 X GHW, pedicel slightly narrowed near base; with FS 1-6 subequal in length, about 4 times as long as wide, and FS 6 - 9 subequal in length slightly narrower than 1 - 6.

Legs with all tibiae curved, stouter at apices than at base (maximum width of apex/maximum width at base of hind tibiae =1.2 - 1.7) and all femora stout, not curved (maximum width hind femora 0.5 – 0.6 mm).

Abdomen ( Figs. 19, 21 ) with V2 lacking faint median ‘carina’ between bases of coxae 3. Light organs: entire in V6 with a broad emargination along anterior margin; entire in V7, with a shallow anteromedian emargination, not posteromedially emarginated. Ventrite 7: MPP 1.2 X longer than wide, not expanded at its tip when viewed from beneath; when viewed from side, tip expanded in posterior 2 / 3, such that the ventral margin of the MPP is continuous with the more anterior margin of V7, there being no change of angle, and the dorsal surface expands such that the posterior half of the MPP is twice as deep as the anterior half; posterior margin of MPP not emarginated dorsally ( Fig. 21 ), rounded ventrally, with ventral half of posterior half clothed in short fine hairs and dorsal half slightly depressed, paler than rest; dorsal surface of anterior part of MPP with narrow short longitudinal depression corresponding to external dark marking; apex of tergite 8 ( Fig. 27 ) narrows gradually towards tip, rounded, entire.

Aedeagus in the aedeagal sheath ( Figs. 15 – 17 ) protrudes behind the posterior margin of the MPP of V 7 in the median line, lateral lobes splay to each side of the downturned tip of tergite 8. Aedeagus with ML much shorter than LL, which are widely divergent along their dorsal, inner margins in basal 2/7 of their length and closely approximate along their apical 4/7 with apices touching then diverging to each side; LL in ‘wet’ preserved specimens white, plump (about as high as wide), becoming dorsoventrally flattened and darker after immersion in 20% KOH for about 20 minutes.

Description. – Female. 12.0 mm long; body 4.3 mm wide across widest point of closed elytra; macropterous, and observed in flight; dorsal colouration as for male except for paler brown markings on pronotum (extent is confused by retraction of underlying fat body in the coloured areas); ventral colouration as for male except for all legs which have very dark brown apices of femora, dark brown tibiae and tarsi, and pale golden brown coxae, trochanters and basal 2 / 3 of femora; basal abdominal ventrites moderately dark brown; pale light organ in V6, and V7 and 8 shiny light brown; abdominal tergites brown except for golden brown tergite 8.

Pronotum 1.8 mm long; 3.3 mm wide; pronotum 1 / 7 as long as whole body; median anterior margin not indented, not projecting either beyond or behind anterolateral corners and separated from them by rounded shallow emarginations; anterolateral corners angulate obtuse; lateral margins divergent posteriorly with a slight narrowing at posterior half, then diverging evenly until posterolateral corner; posterolateral corners angulate, acute, not projecting posteriorly as far as median posterior margin, which is entire, and separated from it by shallow emarginations.

Elytra 10.2 mm long; elytral lateral margins divergent in anterior 2 / 7, subparallel in next 1 / 7, then convergent in apical 4 / 7; maximum width across elytra 4.3 mm (measured at 3 / 10 their length from front); maximum width across elytra 3.2 mm (measured at 2 / 10 their length in front of apices).

Head completely concealed beneath pronotum at rest; GHW 1.8 mm, SIW 0.6mm; ASD subequal to ASW; head barely depressed between eyes; mouthparts well developed, functional; apical segments of maxillary and labial palpi shaped as for male, except the right apical segment of the labial palpi has 4 elongate slender evenly spaced projections on the longer inner margin while the left palp has 4 with the middle two fused at their bases.

Legs with all tibiae curved, stouter at apices than at base (maximum width of apex/maximum width at base of hind tibiae = 1.3) and all femora moderately stout, not curved (maximum width hind femora 0.5 mm).

Abdomen ( Figs. 30, 32, 34 ) with posterior margin of V7 evenly and quite deeply emarginate, posterolateral corners apically acute and longer than wide, projecting posteriorly beyond the median posterior margin of V7 by more than their width; ventral surface with posterolateral elongate rounded protuberances, but lacking any troughs, or ridges; anterior half of V8 narrowed, and linearly prolonged beneath V7, prolonged portion shorter than wider posterior portion of V8, all of anterior prolongation well sclerotised; dorsal surface of tergite 7 evenly rounded.

Genitalia similar to P. wittmeri ( Figs. 35, 36 ), with some sclerotisation between coxites, and valvifers long, slender and not diverging in anterior half.

Reproductive system ( Fig. 37 ). The junction of the ‘vagina’, the median oviduct, and the duct leading to the bursa and spermatheca occurs just above the anterior prolongation of V8 and the anterior tips of the valvifers of the female genital complex (2.5 mm from the posterior margin of V8). Muscles run from the anterior narrow portion of abdominal V8 and attach onto the anterior portions of the valvifers. The presumed spermatheca is about 1 / 10 the size of the spermathecal gland, both appear quite muscular and neither has any obvious internal cuticularisation. Paired anteriorly directed hooks, attached to the sides of the median duct [the bursa] at their bases only, occur just in front of the junction of the median oviduct to the vagina, and a half empty presumed spermatheca was found here. These hooks are above the narrowed anterior prolongation of V8.

Remarks. – Ballantyne (1968) describe the pronotal colour on a pinned specimen as red-brown and the elytral with an apical brown area, and the single (pinned) female as lacking curvature on the anterior tibiae.

Figures

Figure 38. (A). The strict consensus of the 2992 MPT for 49 taxa of the Luciolinae found with phylogenetic analysis of 115 characters, excluding 10 colour and mimicry characters. (B). The majority rule consensus of the 2992 MPT for the Luciolinae, showing above the branch the percentage of MPT retaining that node. 153 of the MPT were compatible with the majority rule consensus.

Figure 39. Semistrict consensus of 195 successively weighted trees. Percentage of successively weighted trees with this resolution shown above the branch. None of the MPT was compatible with the semistrict consensus successively weighted trees.

Figure 40. Preferred MPT from 153 filtered MPT compatible with the majority rule consensus of the 2992 MPT, Part 1, without Atyphella clade. Unambiguous character and state changes were mapped using MacClade. Colour and mimicry characters, not used in the phylogenetic analysis, are enclosed in boxes. Bremer support values shown above nodes.

Figs. 1-17. Features of male Pygoluciola. 1, 6, 13-17: P. guigliae; 2: ‘Mt Missim’ male; 3, 7: P. kinabalua holotype male; 4, 10-12: P. stylifer holotype male; 5, 8-9: P. wittmeri. 1-5: dorsal, male pronota (left side shows colour pattern, right side sculpturing; solid line indicates extent of irregular tubercles, dotted lines retraction of fat body): 6,7: dorsal, whole body; aedeagi (8; 10 ventral; 9, 12 dorsal; 11, left lateral); 13: maxillary palp, ventral surface; 14: labial palp, ventral surface; 15-17: aedeagal sheath, dorsal, ventral, and lateral. These figures share scale lines: 1-5; 6-7; 8-14; 15-17. Figure legend: A, anus; BP, basal piece; EO, ejaculatory orifice; LL, lateral lobe; ML, median lobe; TS, tergite aedeagal sheath; VS, ventrite aedeagal sheath.

Figs. 18-36. Features of female Pygoluciola: Figs. 18-27; Features of female Pygoluciola: Figs. 28-36. 18, 22, 26, 27-29, 31, 33, 36 (P. wittmeri); 19, 21, 27, 30, 32, 34, 35 (P. guigliae); 20, 23-25 (P. stylifer holotype male). 18, 19, 23, 28, 30, ventral terminal abdominal segments [29 stippled outline in V 7 = fat body, in 30 = lateral elevations of V7]; 20, 22, 29, dorsal, terminal abdominal segments; 21, vertical face of apex of MPP of ventrite 7, dorsal face uppermost; 24, posterior face apex of tergite 8; 25, 26, lateral terminal abdominal segments, ventrites uppermost [26 anus, stippled, protrudes through MPP of V7]; 27, dorsal face abdominal tergite 8; 31, 32, dorsal surface abdominal ventrite 7 [right side only; stippling = dorsally reflexed cuticle; in 32 dotted oval = position of elevation]; 33, 34, ventral face, abdominal ventrite 8; 35, 36, ventral female genitalia. These figures share scale lines: 18, 20, 22, 23, 28-30; 19, 25-27; 31-34; 35-36.

Fig. 37. Female reproductive system. A, diagrammatic representation of ventrite 8, part of female genitalia, bursa and spermatheca and gland [bursa is shown to side of spermatheca] Figure not to scale, dimensions represented relatively; B, internal aspect, hook in bursa; scale line is 1 mm. Figure legend: B, bursa (arrow indicates hook); O, median oviduct; S, spermatheca; P, gland; V8, ventrite 8; V, valvifers female genitalia.