Asymmetricata circumdata (Motsch.)

Ballantyne, Lesley A. & Lambkin, Christine, 2009, Systematics of Indo-Pacific fireflies with a redefinition of Australasian Atyphella Olliff, Madagascan Photuroluciola Pic, and description of seven new genera from the Luciolinae (Coleoptera: Lampyridae), Zootaxa 1997, pp. 1-188 : 32-33

Asymmetricata circumdata (Motsch.)

( Figs 5, 6, 8, 108, 109, 112–117)

Luciola circumdata Motschulsky, 1854:50 (female). Lacordaire, 1857:338. Olivier, 1885:364 (Male, female); 1902:84. Bourgeois, 1890:184. McDermott, 1964:44; 1966: 101. Ballantyne, 1987b:181, Fig. 1.

Holotype. Female. ‘Indes orientales’ [A. N. Severtzov Institute of Animal Morphology, Moscow] (examined by, and abdomen drawn by Mrs E. Davydova).

Material examined. THAILAND: 8.59N, 99.06E, nr Ban Bang Pla, off Rt 8091, SW Kathun Baen, 29.vi.1980, J E Lloyd, S Wing, male (T8043) (Lloyd) . 9.57N, 98.38E, Ranong, Queen Sirikit Park , 10.v.1997, P. Sommartya, 3 males ( ANIC) . 13.32N, 100.16E, Samut Sakhon rt 35 just W jct 3097, 7.viii.1980, J E Lloyd, male (T8062) (Lloyd) . 15.42N, 100.08E, Nakhon Sawan Bung Boraphet , 11.vi.1997, S. Divasiri, male ( ANIC) . Chomlong , 18.v.1961, K. Iwata, male ( ANIC) . CAMBODIA: Cheko , 13.iii.1965, K Yoshikawa, 2 males ( ANIC) .

Diagnosis. One of two Asymmetricata species with orange pronotum, and dark brown elytra with orange margins; distinguished from the similar A. ovalis by the entire LO in V7 (that of ovalis is bipartite). Very similar in colouration and dorsal facies to that of Convexa wolfi , distinguished by the asymmetrical tergite 8 (that of C. wolfi is symmetrical).

Male redescription. 11.2–12.2 mm long; 4.5–5.2 mm wide; W/L 0.4. Colour: ( Figs 5, 6) Pronotum, MS, MN and sutural, apical and lateral margins of elytra orange, rest of elytra, head, antennae and palpi dark brown; irregular retraction of fat body under pronotum may confuse interpretation of colour; ventral surface of thorax, and legs, orange except for dark brown tibiae and tarsi; abdominal V2–5 very dark brown, LO white; MPP slightly yellow; tergites 7, 8 yellow, semitransparent, rest mottled mid-brown. Pronotum: 2.2–2.7 mm long, 4.0– 4.7 mm wide; W/L 1.7–1.8; area between anterior and posterior hypomeron slightly angulate. Elytra: convex-sided, 9.0– 9.5 mm long, 4 interstitial lines visible, inner two approach suture in height, outer two not as well–defined. Head: GHW 2.4–2.5mm; SIW 0.4–0.5 mm; SIW/ GHW 1/5–1/6; ASD subequal to ASW; frons-vertex junction rounded, frons about 1 x ASW high. Abdomen: ( Figs 6, 108, 109) narrow anteromedian depression of LO in V7 not visible in some pinned specimens where segments have contracted lengthwise; fine median longitudinal depression along anterior ¾ length of ventral face of LO in Cheko, Chomlong and Ranong males; LO entire in V6, 7; apex of MPP slightly asymmetrical, entire, appears broadly truncate from beneath.

Remarks. Published accounts of association of males to this species have been unreliable, and identification of these specimens as circumdata is based on the distinctive colour pattern, and the difference in LO structure from L. ovalis (where it is bipartite). Motschulsky (1854) described a female from ‘Indes orientales’. Mrs E Davydova, late of the Severtzov Institute Moscow, examined the type (and single specimen) of L circumdata , indicated the size (12mm), and her drawing (with LB) of the terminal abdominal ventrites confirmed a female. Olivier (1885) assigned a single male (from ‘Birmanie’), which he associated with a similarly coloured female. He did not describe the V7 LO shape, but his description of the two terminal ventrites as ‘blanc de cire’ probably indicated an entire LO. Bourgeois (1890) assigned a male (without a LO description), and female and indicated a wide range ( Burma, Thailand and Cambodia). McDermott (1964:44) considered the last ventral segment of the abdomen ‘cleft’ in L. ovalis (probably a reference to the bipartite light organs) but not so “in the very similar L. circumdata Motsch. ” The possibility that some form of gradation from entire to at least partially bipartite LO could be investigated when more specimens are available (the median depression on V 7 in some specimens gives the impression that the LO is bipartite when it is not).