Medeopteryx tarsalis (Olivier), 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 : 96

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3653.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:72A07BC6-AEB0-4EBC-AFA8-F5871065680F
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5266873
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/E46FF216-5E5D-C512-FF6F-BF84FAA7EE69
treatment provided by	Felipe (2021-08-25 02:01:40, last updated by Plazi 2023-11-04 18:34:06)
scientific name	Medeopteryx tarsalis (Olivier)
status	comb. nov.

Treatment

Medeopteryx tarsalis (Olivier) View in CoL comb. nov.

Luciola tarsalis Olivier, 1885: 360 ; 1902:72.

Pteroptyx tarsalis (Olivier) View in CoL . Olivier, 1909b:319. McDermott, 1966:117. Ballantyne & McLean, 1970:253.

Pteroptyx tarsale Olivier, 1910b:48 ; 1913b:417. Ballantyne & McLean, 1970:253 (synonymy).

Holotype. Male. NEW GUINEA: 143.00E, 9.00S, Western Pr. , Fly River ( MCSN). GoogleMaps

Other specimens examined. NEW GUINEA: New Ireland : 150.48E, 2.34S, Kavieng, 11.ii.1966, G. Monteith, 2 males, 8 females (Tube 222 UQIC) GoogleMaps . NEW GUINEA: 143.00E, 9.00S, Western Pr. , Sturt Is., Fly River, 5.x. 1936, male, 2 females; 7.x. 1936, 2 males, 4 females; 8.x. 1936, 2 males, 3 females; 14–16.x. 1936, 15 males, 18 females ( AMNH) GoogleMaps . Mediri , 60 miles up Fly River, 8.xi.1922, A. McCulloch, male, 2 females ( AMSA) .

Diagnosis. 6.2–9.1 mm long; dorsally yellow with elytral apices dark brown: the apical brown area may extend anteriorly in strips of decreasing width, sometimes reaching humeral angles; distinguished from all other New Guinean Medeopteryx by its dorsal colouration.

Remarks. This species is only known from mainland New Guinea at the Fly River, and on New Ireland. There are no details of light production and the two populations may not be conspecific.

The pale dorsal colouration with dark tipped elytra which are sometimes dark margined probably provides some protective advantage. To the unaided eye the outline of the lateral margin of the body is totally disrupted.

References

Ballantyne, L. A. & McLean, M. R. (1970) Revisional studies on the firefly genus Pteroptyx Olivier (Coleoptera: Lampyridae: Luciolinae: Luciolini). Transactions of the American Entomological Society, 96, 223 - 305.

McDermott, F. A. (1966) Lampyridae Pars. 9. Coleopterorum Catalogus (Junk-Schenkling) (Ed. Sec), 1 - 149 (Luciolini, 98 - 118).

Olivier, E. (1885) Catalogue des Lampyrides faisant partie des collections du Musee Civique de Genes. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Genova, (2 a) 2, 333 - 374.

Olivier, E. (1902) Catalogue des especes de ' Luciola' et genres voisins decrits jusqu'a ce jour. Revue Scientifique du Bourbonnais et du centre de la France, 15, 69 - 88.

Olivier, E. (1909 b) Sur les Luciola d'Australie. Transactions of the Entomological Society of London, 1909, lxxxi - lxxxii.

Olivier, E. (1910 b) Pars 9. Lampyridae. Coleopterorum Catalogus (Junk-Schenkling), (Luciolinae, 40 - 48).

Olivier, E. (1913 b) Lampyridae. Resultats de L'Expedition Scientifique Neerlandaise a la Nouvelle-Guinee en 1907 et 1909 sous les auspices de Dr H. R. Lorentz. Zoologie Livraison III. Nova Guinea, 9, 417 - 422.