Trisinuata similispapuae (Ballantyne), 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 : 121

Trisinuata similispapuae (Ballantyne) comb. nov.

[ Figs 259–265 ]

Pteroptyx similispapuae Ballantyne , in Ballantyne & McLean, 1970:261; Ballantyne 1987a:159.

Holotype. Male. INDONESIA West Irian : 135.31E, 3.23S, Nabire, South Geelvink Bay, 0–30m, vii.2–9.1962, light trap ( BPBM).

Specimens examined. NEW GUINEA: Western Highlands 5.32S 144.08E Baiyer River, tube bears label ‘MP (mating pair) *2 8.15 male yellow female Gr. 11.xi.69 light male 2 nd BR 2; no collector (see Ballantyne 1987a:160) ( ANIC) .

Diagnosis. This mating pair was characterised ( Ballantyne 1987a p. 159). Males small (5–6 mm long); dorsally entirely brown with small median orange spots on the pronotum, or median area of pronotum entirely dingy orange; very similar to Tri. papuae , distinguished by the outline of the terminal abdomen ( Fig. 259, 260 ), and the asymmetrical flanges on T8 ( Fig. 261 ); short paired cuticular strips extend anteriorly across the dorsal face of V7 from the sides of the MPP ( Fig. 260 ). Female coloured as for male except for pale LO in V6 only.

Female. 5.6 mm long. Colour: as for male except for yellowish brown ventral surface of metathorax, pale LO in V6 only, not reaching to brown lateral margins, light brown basal abdominal tergites and darker brown T7, 8. V7 posterior margin gently bisinuate, median area narrowly indented, and posterolateral corners rounded ( Fig. 263 ). Bursa: with broad paired plates ( Fig. 265 ).

Remarks. This species was described from two specimens which differed from the similarly coloured Pteroptyx papuae in the outlines of the terminal abdominal ventrite ( Ballantyne & McLean, 1970). Ballantyne (1987a) described two further specimens (a mating pair) and the light colour (male yellow, female green), but had difficulty in determining if the LO in V7 was bipartite. A reexamination here including the presence of cuticular strands ( Fig. 260 ) to which muscles attach in the median area of V7 indicates a bipartite LO in V7. Ballantyne (1987a:160) described the aedeagal sheath split by a mating "plug" (spermatophore) retained as a very hard ball attached to the ejaculatory orifice ( Fig. 264 ).

Figures

FIGURES 259–265. Trisinuata similispapuae males and female (259–261, 263, 265 Baiyer River mating pair; 262 Mt Lamington males). 259, 263 abdomen ventral; 261 T8 ventral (anterior prolongation on left side missing; flanges arowed); 262 whole body, dorsal (262) and ventral; 264 aedeagus left lateral with extruded spermatophore; 265 bursa lateral. Figure legends: 1 median oviduct plate; 2 posterior bursa plates; 3 anterior bursa plates. These figures share scale lines: 259, 260.